(Image Source: Getty Images)
[Saba Sports News] During a recent press event, Abdul Razzaq made an inappropriate comment about Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai, with fellow cricketers Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi present on stage. The trio has since faced significant backlash. Umar Gul, in his defense, claimed on social media that his applause was sarcastic and not in agreement with Razzaq’s views.
Razzaq’s comment was made while discussing Pakistan’s performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, using an unsuitable analogy involving Aishwarya Rai. Journalist Basit Subhani strongly criticized the cricketers for this incident on ‘X’, highlighting the importance of education and grooming, and expressing concern for the impact on Aishwarya, her family, and fans.
“Younis Khan had good intentions as a captain and it gave me confidence to perform better. Everyone over here is talking about the intention and Pakistan’s team. Actually, we don’t have good intentions to develop and polish players in Pakistan. If you think that by marrying Aishwarya Rai, a good and pious kid would be born, it would never happen,” Razzaq said.
Gul responded to Subhani’s tweet, acknowledging Razzaq’s comment as “ethically and morally wrong” and clarifying that neither he nor Shahid Afridi clapped in endorsement but rather in sarcasm. He emphasized that no one at the event appreciated Razzaq’s statement and that it’s wrong to involve unrelated individuals in such conversations.
“Dear brother, @SAfridiOfficial bhai and I did not clap in the clip to endorse what Abdul Razzaq said but it was in sarcasm. No1 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 r not even a part of the conversation,” he posted.