‘It’s like living in jail’: Simon Doull reveals mental torture he experienced in Pakistan

Simon Doull, a well-known cricket commentator, opened up about the psychological distress he experienced in Pakistan following his on-air remarks on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam.

Doull described his unpleasant experience where he was unable to even go out for meals due to the presence of angry fans waiting outside his hotel. The 53-year-old expressed gratitude for being able to leave the country safely.

“Living in Pakistan is like living in jail. I was not allowed to go out as Babar Azam fans were waiting for me. And I stayed without food for many days. Even I was mentally tortured, but by the grace of God, I somehow escaped,” said Doull while speaking to Geo News.

For the unversed, Doull had criticized Babar for slowing down his innings upon reaching near his century during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 game between the Peshawar Zalmi and the Quetta Gladiators.

Notably, Babar scored 115 runs off 65 balls but took 14 deliveries to reach his century from 83. The Peshawar team also lost the game by eight wickets with 10 balls to spare. Doull, who was on air at that point in time, went on to say that Babar puts personal milestones ahead of the team.

“Rather than putting the team first… the last little while, that’s all that been happening. Rather than looking for boundaries, still so much firepower to come. Hundreds are brilliant, stats are great, but it has to be team first,” Doull had said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan will host New Zealand in the multi-format series featuring T20I and ODI matches. The first T20I will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday, April 14. Similarly, the ODI series will begin on Thursday, April 27.