Zimbabwe’s stunning defeat of Pakistan at the T20 World Cup gave them sweet revenge in a light-hearted feud over a Mr Bean impersonator.
As the two sides prepared for their clash in Perth on Thursday, one Zimbabwe fan wanted not just victory, but also payback for a perceived betrayal six years ago.
“As Zimbabweans we won’t forgive you... you once gave us that Fraud Pak Bean instead of Mr Bean Rowan,” Ngugi Chasura wrote on Twitter — referring to the character played by Rowan Atkinson — in reply to a post by the Pakistan team’s official account. “We will settle the matter tomorrow [Thursday], just pray the rains will save you.”
Photo: AFP
Chasura was referring to Pakistani entertainer Asif Muhammad, who uses the stage name “Mr Pak Bean” to impersonate the British actor-comedian’s character.
Muhammad was hired by a Zimbabwean firm to appear at an agriculture show in Harare in 2016, but Chasura was unimpressed.
His pre-match vow of revenge went viral, spawning jokes and memes on social media, even from Pakistan fans as their team fell apart chasing Zimbabwe’s modest 130 in Perth.
“Please forgive us, Zimbabwe,” one fan wrote on Twitter. “We will send real Mr. Bean next time.”
“I swear I won’t even utter the words ‘Fake Mr. Bean’ again,” another wrote.
Images of the real Mr Bean crying flooded Twitter timelines as the match — dubbed the “Bean Derby” by some on social media — swung away from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, there was no play yesterday at the tournament as rain forced both games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to be canceled.
Afghanistan had a second match washed out as their encounter with Ireland was scrapped and the weather did not ease, wiping out the Australia-England clash.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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