Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has distanced himself from a controversial statement made by his former teammate Abdul Razzaq regarding Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Afridi was attending an event with Razzaq and former Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul when Razzaq criticized Babar Azam and Pakistan’s performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023, where they failed to reach the semifinals after losing five out of their nine matches. During his analysis, Razzaq made a comment mentioning Aishwarya, which received significant backlash online.
On Tuesday, Afridi clarified that he was not aware of what Razzaq said on stage and stated that he will ask Razzaq to apologize. Afridi watched the clip of the incident when he returned home and realized that Razzaq had made an inappropriate statement. Afridi acknowledged that Razzaq has a habit of making controversial statements and expressed his intention to text him and request an apology for his comments.
A video of Afridi’s response was shared on Twitter, with many applauding Afridi for his stance. Umar Gul also posted a clarification on the internet, stating that he and Afridi did not clap in the video to endorse Razzaq’s comments but rather in sarcasm. Gul emphasized that nobody appreciated or endorsed what Razzaq said, and it was ethically and morally wrong to name people who were not even a part of the conversation.
The incident also drew criticism from fellow former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who condemned Razzaq’s inappropriate joke/comparison. Akhtar called for people seated beside Razzaq to have raised their voice immediately instead of laughing and clapping.
The controversy surrounding Razzaq’s comments has sparked a discussion on social media platforms, highlighting the importance of respecting women and avoiding disrespectful remarks.
