A new incarnation of the “Fake Bean” controversy has emerged ahead of the Pakistan versus England T20 World Cup final in Australia in 2022. Prior to the summit game, a new “Fake Bean vs Real Bean” trend has taken over after Zimbabwe exacted their nation’s “revenge” in a trend that went viral.

Asif Mohammad, aka the fake Mr. Bean, is a Pakistani-born actor, while Rowan Atkinson, aka the real Mr. Bean, is a Britisher. Memes featuring fake and real Mr. Beans side by side flooded Twitter ahead of the T20 World Cup final on November 13. Some memes also used the faces of the two comedians in place of the faces of the Pakistani and English captains.

Also Read| Who is Janaki Easwar, 13-year-old Indian-origin girl set to perform at T20 World Cup final?

The Fake Bean Controversy

The Fake Bean trend and controversy started on October 27, just before the Pakistan versus Zimbabwe Super 12 match. Zimbabwe fans warned of retaliation for sending a fake Mr. Bean to their country after their team qualified for Group 2 of T20 World Cup. When Twitter prompted a user from Zimbabwe, he revealed that someone posing as Mr. Bean, aka Rowan Atkinson, had travelled from Pakistan to Zimbabwe in the past and had allegedly conned people who believed him to be the real deal.

Also Read| England crush India, will play Pakistan in T20 World Cup final

The term “Fake Bean” refers to Pakistani comedian Asif Mohammad, who performed at the Harare International Conference Center in 2016. The show, which allegedly cost $10 per Zimbabwean, was a flop. Audience members slammed the show as a sham and were enraged that they had “lost” their money there. Mohammad is a native of Karachi’s Kharadar neighbourhood. The incident mentioned by the Zimbabwean fans occurred in 2016, when Pak Bean visited the Harare Agricultural Show and caused quite a stir.

Also Read| T20 World Cup 2022 Pakistan vs England final: How ICC plans to tackle rain threat in Melbourne

The Fake Mr. Bean vs Real Mr. Bean trend has taken over Twitter ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 summit game between Babar Azam’s Pakistan and Jos Buttler’s England on November 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Check out the tweets:

Also Read| Pakistan vs England T20 WC final: Records, stats, weather, and pitch report

Meanwhile, in the Super 12 stage of the T20 World Cup 2022, both finalists finished second in their respective groups. Pakistan advanced to the final with a seven-wicket victory over Group 1 winners New Zealand in the first semi-final, while England advanced with a commanding 10-wicket victory over Group 2 winners India.