Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul Set the Record Straight on Controversial ‘Aishwarya Rai’ Comment via Text Message

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has distanced himself from a controversial statement made by his former teammate Abdul Razzaq about Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. During a recent event, Afridi, Razzaq, and former Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul were in attendance. 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 nine matches. In his analysis, Razzaq made a comment mentioning Aishwarya, which was heavily criticized by the internet.

On Tuesday, Afridi made it clear that he was not aware of what Razzaq said on stage and clarified that he would ask Razzaq to apologize. Afridi stated, “I saw the clip when I went home and realized that Abdul Razzaq made a wrong statement. I knew he had a microphone in his hand and would say something. He has a habit of cracking jokes. I will just text him to apologize for what he said as it was wrong.”

Umar Gul also posted a clarification on the internet regarding the incident and the resulting controversy. He stated, “Dear brother, Shahid Afridi and I did not clap in the clip to endorse what Abdul Razzaq said, but it was in sarcasm. No one there appreciated or endorsed what was said by him. It was ethically and morally wrong. Everyone has a different perspective, and it’s always wrong to name people who are not even part of the conversation.”

Shoaib Akhtar, another former Pakistan pacer, also condemned Razzaq’s inappropriate joke/comparison and expressed his disapproval on social media. He posted, “I highly condemn the inappropriate joke/comparison made by Razzaq. No woman should be disrespected like this. People seated beside him should have raised their voice right away rather than laughing and clapping.”

The incident has sparked widespread criticism, and Afridi’s response to distance himself from Razzaq’s statement reflects the importance of respecting women and avoiding such inappropriate comments.