PAK vs ZIM: What is Pakistan Mr. Bean controversy in cricket? All you need to know

In an unusual turn of events, Zimbabwean cricket fans are threatening the Pakistan Cricket Team with retaliation for allegedly sending a fake Mr. Bean to a local event in their country. 

After defeating Scotland in their final qualifier game on October 21, Zimbabwe advanced to the same Super 12 group as India and Pakistan. Zimbabwe is set to face Pakistan in their first match of the Super 12 stage on Thursday.

However, it appears that Zimbabwean cricket fans are upset with Pakistan and are calling for retaliation in their upcoming match. A Zimbabwean fan commented on a post shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board on its official Twitter handle, threatening them with retaliation in their next game. The fan claimed that Pakistan sent a fake Mr. Bean to a Zimbabwean event and stated that his team will settle the matter  during their Super 12 match.

What is the matter all about?

When a couple of Pakistani Twitter users attempted to get to the bottom of the matter and the source of the person's rage, the latter hilariously revealed that Pakistan had sent a person impersonating Mr. Bean or the legendary British actor Rowan Atkinson to one of Zimbabwe's local events, accusing him of'stealing' people's money during his visit to the African country.

This is tha fuck called Pak Bean who imitates Mr Bean stealing peoples money pic.twitter.com/n5qe50SsWp

— Ngugi Chasura (@mhanduwe0718061) October 25, 2022

Fans also reacted to the Fake Mr Bean controversy while also calling it the biggest rivalry in world cricket due to Pakistan's penchant for playing Zimbabwe in regular interviews in the past 3 years.

People of Zimbabwe wanted Mr Bean to make appearance at an event, what they got was "Mr Pak Bean". Now they are upset and want revenge against pak cricket team.

Can't blame them, this is betrayal of highest order  #PAKvZIM #ZimVsPakpic.twitter.com/OPp5TPqX4O

— APJ (@apj234) October 26, 2022

Pakistan Twitter users came up with hilarious comments pertaining the aforementioned exchange on the micro-blogging site, while adding another interesting dimension/reason to look forward to the clash.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by a fraudulent disguising as Mr Bean. We pakistanis are people with big heart. As a gesture of goodwill and to keep brotherly relationship alive between the two countries,I offer you Lionel Messi free of cost for your next event pic.twitter.com/6mkZcVlkmF

— Shariq Zahid (@MshariqZ) October 26, 2022

The 'Fake Mr. Bean,' also known as the 'Pak Bean,' is a Pakistani comedian named Mohammad Asif from Karachi's Kharadar neighborhood.

The above-mentioned event in Zimbabwe occurred in 2016 at the Harare Agricultural Show, when Asif impersonated Mr. Bean and looked so similar that people went out of their way to get pictures taken with him.

READ| 'The hurt remains after..': Pakistan still ‘heartbroken’ after T20 World Cup loss vs India, says Iftikhar Ahmed