“Badtameez Aadmi Hai”: Irfan Pathan slams Shahid Afridi

[Ball Blazer]

India–Pakistan cricket rivalry has always been fueled by intense competition, fiery exchanges, and unforgettable moments. While Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi often grab the spotlight for their heated battles, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has now revealed that he too had a personal clash with Afridi that went beyond the boundary ropes.

In a candid interview with Lallantop, Pathan opened up about the origins of their feud, recalling how a remark made by Afridi not only hurt him personally but also sparked a determination to dismiss the flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder every time they faced off.

Afridi’s “Real Pathan” Comment Sparks Controversy

Pathan shared that the rivalry began after an interview Afridi gave to renowned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. During the chat, Afridi reportedly quipped, “I’m a real Pathan, Irfan is not.”

The comment struck a nerve. “Badtameez aadmi hai,” Irfan Pathan recalled, translating to “He is an ill-mannered man.”

For Irfan, the statement crossed a personal line. “I got the feeling that he wasn’t just talking about me, but about my parents too. Had he not said all this, I wouldn’t have had any issue with him. But getting personal was wrong. So every time I bowled to him, I knew I would get rid of him.”

True to his word, Pathan went on to dismiss Afridi 11 times in international cricket, many of them on crucial occasions, including high-pressure matches and even World Cup encounters.

“Badtameez Aadmi Hai” – Pathan’s Sharp Retort

Then I politely answered, ‘Seems like Afridi had that for dinner last night as he can’t stop barking right now.’ And there was pin-drop silence from Afridi during the entire journey,” revealed the 40-year-old.

Pathan also said that he had a complaint to register with renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle, as he did not counter Afridi when the latter said that Irfan was fake, and he was the only real Pathan.

The Baroda-born man, who finished with 2821 runs and 301 wickets in 173 matches across formats for India, also recounted that he has got Afridi out 11 times in all international competitions.

Irfan Pathan having a beef with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi is not new knowledge. However, what is new is the fact that he had a ‘dog fight’ with the former Pakistan captain mid-flight.

Pathan, while he was on tour of Pakistan with the Indian team in 2005-06, was sitting on a flight alongside the members of both teams, and the flight was going from Lahore to Karachi.

Explaining what happened, Pathan on the Lallantop show said, “Afridi came and messed up my hair while I was sitting with Abdul Razzaq and said, ‘Yo kiddo, how are you?’ And I replied, ‘Since when did you become my father?’ and that led to him saying nasty words in foul language.”

The former Indian pacer then explained how he used a dog reference to silence the Pakistani all-rounder mid-flight.

“I turned to Razzaq and asked, ‘Razzaq Bhai, what kind of meat is found here in Pakistan?’ and Razaaq innocently answered, counting all kinds of meat that they serve in Pakistan. And then I said, ‘Don’t they have dog meat in Pakistan somewhere?’ Razzaq was shocked and asked me why I was saying something like that.”

The incident took place back during India's tour of Pakistan in 2006, probably after the third Test in Karachi. As both the Indian and Pakistan teams were travelling from Karachi to Lahore, Afridi decided to play with a young Pathan, who had played roughly 20 Tests by then in three years.

 

[sweep_shot]

Irfan trying hard to appease the sanghis?

Lack of self-respect.

 

[sweep_shot]

Afridi’s “Real Pathan” Comment Sparks Controversy

Pathan shared that the rivalry began after an interview Afridi gave to renowned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. During the chat, Afridi reportedly quipped, “I’m a real Pathan, Irfan is not.”

The comment struck a nerve. “Badtameez aadmi hai,” Irfan Pathan recalled, translating to “He is an ill-mannered man.”

For Irfan, the statement crossed a personal line. “I got the feeling that he wasn’t just talking about me, but about my parents too. Had he not said all this, I wouldn’t have had any issue with him. But getting personal was wrong. So every time I bowled to him, I knew I would get rid of him.”

Afridi is without a doubt a real ethnic pathan.

Is Irfan really a pathan? What's his background? He doesn't look pathan.

Just because Irfan has the name "pathan" doesn't mean he is one. He looks like a typical vegetarian Indian male. Does he even identify as a pathan?

Pathan should not get offended so easily. He should be more mature.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If I ever saw Irfan Pathan I would probably slap him in the face.

I want to slap the cringe out of him.

And I don't even like Afridi

 

[RidiculousMan]

That I can agree. Afridi is a real pathan. Though I don't know about Irfan. He maybe one too

 

[Major]

Alrhough i hate irfan and he tends to make stupid statements, but Afridi was wrong when he made that statement

This feud is quite old, and Afridi had no right to make statements on race. He went on to say something that irfan was a fake pathan and i am a real pathan.

The statement was racist, and Afridi looked like an idiot. Infact, the statement had an affect in Pakistan as Afridi is no small thing here and every pathan that didnt speak pashto was told that he wasnt a real pathan.

This is just like a player from Afghanistan saying that Umar Gul or Junaid Khan arnt real Pathans, fans would go crazy...

 

[Devadwal]

Duck Afridi still not forget how real Pathan bamboozled him in final of world T20 2027

 

[NishanKonar]

Alrhough i hate irfan and he tends to make stupid statements, but Afridi was wrong when he made that statement

This feud is quite old, and Afridi had no right to make statements on race. He went on to say something that irfan was a fake pathan and i am a real pathan.

The statement was racist, and Afridi looked like an idiot. Infact, the statement had an affect in Pakistan as Afridi is no small thing here and every pathan that didnt speak pashto was told that he wasnt a real pathan.

This is just like a player from Afghanistan saying that Umar Gul or Junaid Khan arnt real Pathans, fans would go crazy...

This is so true. Professional cricketers should not comment on stuff like race / religion / ethnicity / caste

Imagine if a English cricketer says something like that about a black cricketer like Jofra Archer is not English. Or that Moeen Ali is not English. He will be suspended immediately for making such racist comments

 

[Major]

This is so true. Professional cricketers should not comment on stuff like race / religion / ethnicity / caste

Imagine if a English cricketer says something like that about a black cricketer like Jofra Archer is not English. Or that Moeen Ali is not English. He will be suspended immediately for making such racist comments

Exactly. The statement was racist and worse it was on the basis of language speaking.

 

[Devadwal]

There is reason why Misbah, Younis khan , Wasim etc have lots of respect from Indian fans because they never crossed the line same for Dravid, Laxman , Sachin etc for Pakistani fans

 

[NishanKonar]

This is the problem with South Asian societies. We are very salty when it comes to racism from Western countries like Australia / England

But we ourselves are extremely racist / casteist to each other

 

[ElRaja]

koi sir ko aik dau tissue pakra dai, itna rona sahi nahin hota. for someone who likes to troll pakistanis all the time he comes across mighty sensitive, at least it explains why he acts the way he does.

 

[followed]

This irfan pathan guy is so awful. I hate him so much.

He is a besharam insaan and talks too much for such an average cricketer. Shahid Afridi should have smacked him. He deserves it so much.

 

[Devadwal]

This irfan pathan guy is so awful. I hate him so much.

He is a besharam insaan and talks too much for such an average cricketer. Shahid Afridi should have smacked him. He deserves it so much.

Real Pathan humiliated duckAfridi 11 times in cricket . 0(1) was pure gold in final of World T20 2007

 

[Technics 1210]

Atleast Lala has more freedom to practise and speak of his faith in his country.

Pathan and his ilk chose to stay in India post 47, rejected azaadi, now must look behind before heading off to Jumma.

All anti-Pakistan rhetoric from said Muslims in India stems out of jealousy and envy.

 

[Devadwal]

Atleast Lala has more freedom to practise and speak of his faith in his country.

Pathan and his ilk chose to stay in India post 47, rejected azaadi, now have to look behind their back before your head off to Jumma.

All anti-Pakistan rhetoric from said Muslims in India stems out of jealousy and envy.

There was message for Pakistan peoples like you - he said Pakistanis delusional peoples think that they are thekedar of Muslim around the World if they think like this . :Klopp

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Indian media at that time had a unhealthy Pathan fetish. Afridis comments came in that environment where they were pitching some battle between warrior Pathans.

It was an appropriate response.

 

[Devadwal]

Indian media at that time had a unhealthy Pathan fetish. Afridis comments came in that environment where they were pitching some battle between warrior Pathans.

It was an appropriate response.

Asked Afridi what happened to his Pathan cousin

 

[sweep_shot]

Indian media at that time had a unhealthy Pathan fetish. Afridis comments came in that environment where they were pitching some battle between warrior Pathans.

It was an appropriate response.

Agree. This happened a long time ago. Why dig up old beef?

Indian media need to focus on real news and real issues.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Asked Afridi what happened to his Pathan cousin

This is another weird fetish Indians have with Afridi.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Agree. This happened a long time ago. Why dig up old beef?

Indian media need to focus on real news and real issues.

You can imagine it would have hurt Irfan Pathan.

Many of these Indian Muslims struggle with their identity and Afridi mocking Irfans identity probably did hurt him.

However it has helped him in later life and he has used this to fuel his punditry career.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I may not haven been a big fan of Afridi as cricketer, but I find it funny how he lives rent-free in the minds of so many Indian ex-cricketers.

Always trying to make a buck off his name, these lot.

 

[Hitman]

Pretty understandable now why Gambhir despises Afridi so much. Regardless, I don't understand why would any sane person take someone like Afridi even seriously.​

 

[Mesozoic]

Well it's common knowledge that Afridi was a low maturity and low pretty much everything. Always felt he had this hidden veil of bitterness towards India and its players.

Quite fitting that things always ended up in tears for him on our soil when things mattered the most whether it's the 2011 WC or the 2016 WT20. It was pure bliss to see his rhotlu face both the times in Mohali while his team was getting thrown back over the border after getting eliminated.

 

[LordJames]

India–Pakistan cricket rivalry has always been fueled by intense competition, fiery exchanges, and unforgettable moments. While Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi often grab the spotlight for their heated battles, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has now revealed that he too had a personal clash with Afridi that went beyond the boundary ropes.

In a candid interview with Lallantop, Pathan opened up about the origins of their feud, recalling how a remark made by Afridi not only hurt him personally but also sparked a determination to dismiss the flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder every time they faced off.

Afridi’s “Real Pathan” Comment Sparks Controversy

Pathan shared that the rivalry began after an interview Afridi gave to renowned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. During the chat, Afridi reportedly quipped, “I’m a real Pathan, Irfan is not.”

The comment struck a nerve. “Badtameez aadmi hai,” Irfan Pathan recalled, translating to “He is an ill-mannered man.”

For Irfan, the statement crossed a personal line. “I got the feeling that he wasn’t just talking about me, but about my parents too. Had he not said all this, I wouldn’t have had any issue with him. But getting personal was wrong. So every time I bowled to him, I knew I would get rid of him.”

True to his word, Pathan went on to dismiss Afridi 11 times in international cricket, many of them on crucial occasions, including high-pressure matches and even World Cup encounters.

“Badtameez Aadmi Hai” – Pathan’s Sharp Retort

Then I politely answered, ‘Seems like Afridi had that for dinner last night as he can’t stop barking right now.’ And there was pin-drop silence from Afridi during the entire journey,” revealed the 40-year-old.

Pathan also said that he had a complaint to register with renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle, as he did not counter Afridi when the latter said that Irfan was fake, and he was the only real Pathan.

The Baroda-born man, who finished with 2821 runs and 301 wickets in 173 matches across formats for India, also recounted that he has got Afridi out 11 times in all international competitions.

Irfan Pathan having a beef with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi is not new knowledge. However, what is new is the fact that he had a ‘dog fight’ with the former Pakistan captain mid-flight.

Pathan, while he was on tour of Pakistan with the Indian team in 2005-06, was sitting on a flight alongside the members of both teams, and the flight was going from Lahore to Karachi.

Explaining what happened, Pathan on the Lallantop show said, “Afridi came and messed up my hair while I was sitting with Abdul Razzaq and said, ‘Yo kiddo, how are you?’ And I replied, ‘Since when did you become my father?’ and that led to him saying nasty words in foul language.”

The former Indian pacer then explained how he used a dog reference to silence the Pakistani all-rounder mid-flight.

“I turned to Razzaq and asked, ‘Razzaq Bhai, what kind of meat is found here in Pakistan?’ and Razaaq innocently answered, counting all kinds of meat that they serve in Pakistan. And then I said, ‘Don’t they have dog meat in Pakistan somewhere?’ Razzaq was shocked and asked me why I was saying something like that.”

The incident took place back during India's tour of Pakistan in 2006, probably after the third Test in Karachi. As both the Indian and Pakistan teams were travelling from Karachi to Lahore, Afridi decided to play with a young Pathan, who had played roughly 20 Tests by then in three years.

I saw this clip today, Afridi is an ignoramus, uneducated, ill mannered, big mouth baffoon to comment on someone's race.

Having said this, Irfan Pathan is a cringe too.

 

[Rajdeep]

Afridi is without a doubt a real ethnic pathan.

Is Irfan really a pathan? What's his background? He doesn't look pathan.

Just because Irfan has the name "pathan" doesn't mean he is one. He looks like a typical vegetarian Indian male. Does he even identify as a pathan?

Pathan should not get offended so easily. He should be more mature.

Yes Bangladeshis are very tall and athletic

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Guys don't derail this thread

 

[YousafTheBeast]

There’s only one way to settle this, a debate between Afridi and Irfan in Pashto.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Irfan Pathan is Pathan in the same sense as Jay Shah is a shah

 

[straighttalk]

Duck Afridi still not forget how real Pathan bamboozled him in final of world T20 2027

For a man who is synonymous with brain dead slogging and eating balls..the stupid does have a cringe superiority complex

 

[Rajdeep]

Irfan Pathan is Pathan in the same sense as Jay Shah is a shah

What do you mean by Jay Shah is Shah? Shah is a very famous Gujarati surname.

 

[kron]

There is reason why Misbah, Younis khan , Wasim etc have lots of respect from Indian fans because they never crossed the line same for Dravid, Laxman , Sachin etc for Pakistani fans

Not Wasim. He is overrated. No respect for him.

Other 2 yes. 100%. Misbah and younis and moyo are well respected.

Thanks for icc title too.

 

[Major]

Indian media at that time had a unhealthy Pathan fetish. Afridis comments came in that environment where they were pitching some battle between warrior Pathans.

It was an appropriate response.

Still what Afridi said was wrong and racist. It started this notion in pakistan that if you are a pathan that cant speak pashto, you are a fake pathan.

 

[msb314]

Well it's common knowledge that Afridi was a low maturity and low pretty much everything. Always felt he had this hidden veil of bitterness towards India and its players.

Quite fitting that things always ended up in tears for him on our soil when things mattered the most whether it's the 2011 WC or the 2016 WT20. It was pure bliss to see his rhotlu face both the times in Mohali while his team was getting thrown back over the border after getting eliminated.

Maybe if your darpok team showed up to Pakistan for ICC events - we would have also seen them booted out and disappointed…

Sadly you didn’t show up

 

[Mamoon]

There isn’t a single “pathan” who has the name “Pathan” as their family name. I have always been fascinated by Irfan’s incredibly stupid family name and what the background behind it is.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Afridi living rent-free in indian minds even after years of retiring.

 

[Rafale Nidhal]

who even names themselves Pathan, its like someone naming themselves Chinese and then gets triggered when a Chinese guy says he's fake chinese.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

India–Pakistan cricket rivalry has always been fueled by intense competition, fiery exchanges, and unforgettable moments. While Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi often grab the spotlight for their heated battles, former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has now revealed that he too had a personal clash with Afridi that went beyond the boundary ropes.

In a candid interview with Lallantop, Pathan opened up about the origins of their feud, recalling how a remark made by Afridi not only hurt him personally but also sparked a determination to dismiss the flamboyant Pakistani all-rounder every time they faced off.

Afridi’s “Real Pathan” Comment Sparks Controversy

Pathan shared that the rivalry began after an interview Afridi gave to renowned cricket broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. During the chat, Afridi reportedly quipped, “I’m a real Pathan, Irfan is not.”

The comment struck a nerve. “Badtameez aadmi hai,” Irfan Pathan recalled, translating to “He is an ill-mannered man.”

For Irfan, the statement crossed a personal line. “I got the feeling that he wasn’t just talking about me, but about my parents too. Had he not said all this, I wouldn’t have had any issue with him. But getting personal was wrong. So every time I bowled to him, I knew I would get rid of him.”

True to his word, Pathan went on to dismiss Afridi 11 times in international cricket, many of them on crucial occasions, including high-pressure matches and even World Cup encounters.

“Badtameez Aadmi Hai” – Pathan’s Sharp Retort

Then I politely answered, ‘Seems like Afridi had that for dinner last night as he can’t stop barking right now.’ And there was pin-drop silence from Afridi during the entire journey,” revealed the 40-year-old.

Pathan also said that he had a complaint to register with renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle, as he did not counter Afridi when the latter said that Irfan was fake, and he was the only real Pathan.

The Baroda-born man, who finished with 2821 runs and 301 wickets in 173 matches across formats for India, also recounted that he has got Afridi out 11 times in all international competitions.

Irfan Pathan having a beef with Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi is not new knowledge. However, what is new is the fact that he had a ‘dog fight’ with the former Pakistan captain mid-flight.

Pathan, while he was on tour of Pakistan with the Indian team in 2005-06, was sitting on a flight alongside the members of both teams, and the flight was going from Lahore to Karachi.

Explaining what happened, Pathan on the Lallantop show said, “Afridi came and messed up my hair while I was sitting with Abdul Razzaq and said, ‘Yo kiddo, how are you?’ And I replied, ‘Since when did you become my father?’ and that led to him saying nasty words in foul language.”

The former Indian pacer then explained how he used a dog reference to silence the Pakistani all-rounder mid-flight.

“I turned to Razzaq and asked, ‘Razzaq Bhai, what kind of meat is found here in Pakistan?’ and Razaaq innocently answered, counting all kinds of meat that they serve in Pakistan. And then I said, ‘Don’t they have dog meat in Pakistan somewhere?’ Razzaq was shocked and asked me why I was saying something like that.”

The incident took place back during India's tour of Pakistan in 2006, probably after the third Test in Karachi. As both the Indian and Pakistan teams were travelling from Karachi to Lahore, Afridi decided to play with a young Pathan, who had played roughly 20 Tests by then in three years.

Unreliable narrator.

 

[pratiktc]

There isn’t a single “pathan” who has the name “Pathan” as their family name. I have always been fascinated by Irfan’s incredibly stupid family name and what the background behind it is.

Likely something as simple as some government official asking name and ethnicity for issuing ration card or something and just putting the two together to fill the first name/last name format

 

[Bhaijaan]

I would recommend posters to ensure they watched the original video in which these comments were made to understand context.

The key difference between Indians and Pakistanis is that in India, we don’t glorify the stupidity or badtameezi of our cricketers. Players like Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan are rightly admired for their services to Indian cricket. But when their commentary or public statements become over the top or cringe-worthy, people in India don’t celebrate them, often call them out, and move on.

In Pakistan however, badtameezi and even outright racism by cricketers, celebrities and the political leaders of the country are often worn as a badge of honour.

What Irfan said about Afridi is nowhere near as severe as what Afridi’s own colleagues like Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Yousuf, Wasim Akram, and others have publicly said about him over the years. Afridi was a mercurial, match-changing white-ball cricketer, no doubt. But alongside that talent came an image of being uneducated, narcissistic, racist, ego-driven, and consistently cringe in conduct.

Despite the wealth and fame he accumulated, his outlook at home never reflected progress, keeping his children conservative, dependent, and denied of real financial and personal freedom. It says a lot about the hollowness of success in such households. A great mansion where one person made it and hopefully others will be married off to other financially successful people from other families.

Afridi chose to degrade Irfan Pathan’s very identity. Irfan is a proud Indian Muslim from the Surti Pathan community. Pashtun-origin Muslims who migrated from Afghanistan centuries ago and settled in Gujarat, becoming part of India’s cultural fabric for generations. His father, Mehmood Khan Pathan served humbly as a muezzin at a mosque in Baroda. Irfan’s family has carried the Pathan name with dignity for centuries. Very uncommon in our parts of the world where people wear their racial identity as a badge of honour or remembrance. Had Afridi been brought up in a household where respect for other cultures was taught as the most basic courtesy, he would not have indulged in that kind of beghairat stuff.

Pakistanis often try to posture with fake sympathy for Indian Muslims. But when it came to a fellow Muslim across the border who had earned respect for India and carried a proud ancestral lineage, Afridi had no hesitation in mocking him and his forefathers. Does Afridi have the same courage to speak about Jinnah, who himself was only a Hindu a few generations ago? Of course not. His poison is reserved for others, never for the sacred cows of his own nation’s history. That’s the kind of a cowardice and dehaaatpana he grew up in.

Afridi has built his career on this double game, beginning and ending his monologues with “Alhamdulilah” while stuffing the middle with pure nonsense, hate, and cheap shots, as if a religious phrase gives him immunity from criticism. Imran, Wasim like far greater Pakistani cricketers never needed to hind behind religious phrases because they would never act cheap. It’s always been Afridi’s defense armour and he’s not fooling anyone with it.

And to the Pakistanis who may jump in here defending him purely out of their anti-India bias, don’t fool anyone. The record is clear. You yourselves have spent years airing your frustrations with his toxic personality. His character wasn’t poisonous just for Indians, it was poisonous for his own teammates, his own people, and his own cricketing culture. We didn’t suffer from the narcissistic venomous coward for years, you did.

 

[BouncerGuy]

STAY ON TOPIC

 

[HalBass9]

Guy is as cringe as Gambir.

 

[NishanKonar]

There isn’t a single “pathan” who has the name “Pathan” as their family name. I have always been fascinated by Irfan’s incredibly stupid family name and what the background behind it is.

In India you must have a surname / family name after ur first name for govt registration. So if u dont have a surname - ur community name becomes ur surname - like Jat, Rajput, Gurjar, Pathan, Punjabi, Pandit, Maratha. Its fairly common in India

Example - Rizwan claims to be Pathan. If he was born in India - his name wud have been Rizwan Pathan

 

[DeadlyVenom]

The key difference between Indians and Pakistanis is that in India, we don’t glorify the stupidity or badtameezi of our cricketers. Players like Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan are rightly admired for their services to Indian cricket. But when their commentary or public statements become over the top or cringe-worthy, people in India don’t celebrate them, often call them out, and move on.

Credit to our Indian friends for calling out bigotry by giving these individuals you named public platforms on the media and even electing to parliament and making the national team coach.

We can learn a lot about how you have called them out. Well done India!

 

[Mesozoic]

Maybe if your darpok team showed up to Pakistan for ICC events - we would have also seen them booted out and disappointed…

Sadly you didn’t show up

Boo hoo...our team took a tournament and it's final out of your country this very year and won it.

How is that for "disappointment" ?

 

[NishanKonar]

I would recommend posters to ensure they watched the original video in which these comments were made to understand context.

The key difference between Indians and Pakistanis is that in India, we don’t glorify the stupidity or badtameezi of our cricketers. Players like Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, and Irfan Pathan are rightly admired for their services to Indian cricket. But when their commentary or public statements become over the top or cringe-worthy, people in India don’t celebrate them, often call them out, and move on.

In Pakistan however, badtameezi and even outright racism by cricketers, celebrities and the political leaders of the country are often worn as a badge of honour.

What Irfan said about Afridi is nowhere near as severe as what Afridi’s own colleagues like Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Yousuf, Wasim Akram, and others have publicly said about him over the years. Afridi was a mercurial, match-changing white-ball cricketer, no doubt. But alongside that talent came an image of being uneducated, narcissistic, racist, ego-driven, and consistently cringe in conduct.

Despite the wealth and fame he accumulated, his outlook at home never reflected progress, keeping his children conservative, dependent, and denied of real financial and personal freedom. It says a lot about the hollowness of success in such households. A great mansion where one person made it and hopefully others will be married off to other financially successful people from other families.

Afridi chose to degrade Irfan Pathan’s very identity. Irfan is a proud Indian Muslim from the Surti Pathan community. Pashtun-origin Muslims who migrated from Afghanistan centuries ago and settled in Gujarat, becoming part of India’s cultural fabric for generations. His father, Mehmood Khan Pathan served humbly as a muezzin at a mosque in Baroda. Irfan’s family has carried the Pathan name with dignity for centuries. Very uncommon in our parts of the world where people wear their racial identity as a badge of honour or remembrance. Had Afridi been brought up in a household where respect for other cultures was taught as the most basic courtesy, he would not have indulged in that kind of beghairat stuff.

Pakistanis often try to posture with fake sympathy for Indian Muslims. But when it came to a fellow Muslim across the border who had earned respect for India and carried a proud ancestral lineage, Afridi had no hesitation in mocking him and his forefathers. Does Afridi have the same courage to speak about Jinnah, who himself was only a Hindu a few generations ago? Of course not. His poison is reserved for others, never for the sacred cows of his own nation’s history. That’s the kind of a cowardice and dehaaatpana he grew up in.

Afridi has built his career on this double game, beginning and ending his monologues with “Alhamdulilah” while stuffing the middle with pure nonsense, hate, and cheap shots, as if a religious phrase gives him immunity from criticism. Imran, Wasim like far greater Pakistani cricketers never needed to hind behind religious phrases because they would never act cheap. It’s always been Afridi’s defense armour and he’s not fooling anyone with it.

And to the Pakistanis who may jump in here defending him purely out of their anti-India bias, don’t fool anyone. The record is clear. You yourselves have spent years airing your frustrations with his toxic personality. His character wasn’t poisonous just for Indians, it was poisonous for his own teammates, his own people, and his own cricketing culture. We didn’t suffer from the narcissistic venomous coward for years, you did.

Dont think we should generalize all of Pakistan

Many Pakistani ex cricketers are sensible guys - like Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Basit Ali and even Shoaib Akhtar

Yes Shoaib Akhtar can be cringe but to his credit he never says anything about religion / ethnicity or does not subscribe to misogynist views like women belong to kitchen. I always feel he is genuine guy at heart

Shahid Afridi is problematic guy - probably bcoz of his conservative background and lack of education. Forget Irfan Pathan.. Remember his statements like " women should only make biriyani " or how he once smashed his tv bcoz his daughter was watching some Indian tv series showing a Hindu festival. This is deeply problematic from someone with such celebrity status in Pakistan

 

[RexRex]

I thought Afridi's 'i am real pathan' comment was kinda funny .. like something you'd find in a WWE promo trashtalk. Irfan has no sense of humour I guess. Lot of emotional phools out there..

 

[Bhaijaan]

Dont think we should generalize all of Pakistan

Many Pakistani ex cricketers are sensible guys - like Wasim Akram, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Basit Ali and even Shoaib Akhtar

Yes Shoaib Akhtar can be cringe but to his credit he never says anything about religion / ethnicity or does not subscribe to misogynist views like women belong to kitchen. I always feel he is genuine guy at heart

Shahid Afridi is problematic guy - probably bcoz of his conservative background and lack of education. Forget Irfan Pathan.. Remember his statements like " women should only make biriyani " or how he once smashed his tv bcoz his daughter was watching some Indian tv series showing a Hindu festival. This is deeply problematic from someone with such celebrity status in Pakistan

I avoid generalizations but when uneducated, bigoted and openly racist figures like Afridi are elevated as leaders, while the sensible gentlemen you mentioned are sidelined then a generalization sadly becomes valid.

If politics is Afridi’s true ambition, then he should step into it wholeheartedly, and compete in the arena of national politics. His statements would still reek of bigotry but at least they would be understood in the context of political rhetoric meant to gather mass support. Gambhir had a similar phase in India when he was in active politics, his words often carried that tone. The moment he stepped away the sharp edge of his political commentary visibly softened.

Afridi however is a coward and always has been. He cannot even muster the courage to publicly stand by Imran Khan the most popular democratic leader in his country now languishing in jail. Afridi knows the Army has completely throttled democratic forces in Pakistan, reduced dynastic parties to mere puppets, and crushed any real opposition. Yet instead of taking a principled stand, he hides in the shadows, waiting for the establishment to one day lift him up gently and place him at the forefront of politics.

The man who never had the grit to stay at the crease for more than a few minutes cannot summon the resolve to struggle for years, risk his life and truly lead change like the great Imran Khan did. Until conditions become comfortable for him, Afridi will continue to dip his toes into politics the safest way possible by making cheap, convenient, anti-India statements now and then.

And Pakistanis know this. Word for word. Many even find it amusing.

I find it Afridi’s sad karma that if all the people it’s a proud Indian Muslim who embarrassed him and put him in his place.

 

[shah9425]

Irfan Pathan as expected stupid person making fool of himself

 

[NishanKonar]

I avoid generalizations but when uneducated, bigoted and openly racist figures like Afridi are elevated as leaders, while the sensible gentlemen you mentioned are sidelined then a generalization sadly becomes valid.

If politics is Afridi’s true ambition, then he should step into it wholeheartedly, and compete in the arena of national politics. His statements would still reek of bigotry but at least they would be understood in the context of political rhetoric meant to gather mass support. Gambhir had a similar phase in India when he was in active politics, his words often carried that tone. The moment he stepped away the sharp edge of his political commentary visibly softened.

Afridi however is a coward and always has been. He cannot even muster the courage to publicly stand by Imran Khan the most popular democratic leader in his country now languishing in jail. Afridi knows the Army has completely throttled democratic forces in Pakistan, reduced dynastic parties to mere puppets, and crushed any real opposition. Yet instead of taking a principled stand, he hides in the shadows, waiting for the establishment to one day lift him up gently and place him at the forefront of politics.

The man who never had the grit to stay at the crease for more than a few minutes cannot summon the resolve to struggle for years, risk his life and truly lead change like the great Imran Khan did. Until conditions become comfortable for him, Afridi will continue to dip his toes into politics the safest way possible by making cheap, convenient, anti-India statements now and then.

And Pakistanis know this. Word for word. Many even find it amusing.

I find it Afridi’s sad karma that if all the people it’s a proud Indian Muslim who embarrassed him and put him in his place.

This is actually true

If Shahid Afridi has the guts - he should be standing up for Imran Khan - not sucking up to these army generals

Very easy to say stuff against India or pick up fights with Irfan Pathan or Shikhar Dhawan sitting in Pakistan. Real courage is standing up for ur fellow Pathan Imran Khan - that he wont do bcoz at heart he is actually a coward & opportunist ( just like Gautam Gambhir )

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Still what Afridi said was wrong and racist. It started this notion in pakistan that if you are a pathan that cant speak pashto, you are a fake pathan.

It was a WWE comment made like @RexRex said. I think that's the best explanation. It was said in this weird theatrical environment where India and Pakistan was billed as a war and stereotypical comments were made about Pathans strength and stuff.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

This is actually true

If Shahid Afridi has the guts - he should be standing up for Imran Khan - not sucking up to these army generals

Very easy to say stuff against India or pick up fights with Irfan Pathan or Shikhar Dhawan sitting in Pakistan. Real courage is standing up for ur fellow Pathan Imran Khan - that he wont do bcoz at heart he is actually a coward & opportunist ( just like Gautam Gambhir )

Why would he stand up for Imran Khan. He has never been affiliated with PTI in anyway. His loyalties are well known and have been known for a long time.

These are exceptionally silly comments.

Why don't we go the full way and just call Shikar Dhawan and Gambhir cowards because they talk online and don't pick up guns and march to the border?

 

[NishanKonar]

Why would he stand up for Imran Khan. He has never been affiliated with PTI in anyway. His loyalties are well known and have been known for a long time.

These are exceptionally silly comments.

Why don't we go the full way and just call Shikar Dhawan and Gambhir cowards because they talk online and don't pick up guns and march to the border?

I have no issues calling Gambhir & Shikhar Dhawan cowards who just say stupid stuff against Pakistani cricketrs to earn cheap brownie points. They dont have guts to say anything against the Modi govt

Real courage is taking a stand when there is chance of repercussions. This is what makes someone like Muhammad ALi special. He took a stand and paid a heavy price for it

what Shahid Afridi or Gambhir does is sheer cowardice. Just score cheap brownie points mocking other countries while never saying a word against their own govt

 

[RexRex]

It was a WWE comment made like @RexRex said. I think that's the best explanation. It was said in this weird theatrical environment where India and Pakistan was billed as a war and stereotypical comments were made about Pathans strength and stuff.

I mean .. even desis can do toungue-in-cheek and be facetious. Not everything has to be taken literally and people be so dead serious. The comment came during an interview with Harsha Bhogle

 

[NishanKonar]

I mean .. even desis can do toungue-in-cheek and be facetious. Not everything has to be taken literally and people be so dead serious. The comment came during an interview with Harsha Bhogle

Like I said - if a England cricketer made a similar tongue-in-cheek comment about Adil Rashid or Moeen Ali - nobody here wud be laughing. Everyone wud be crying racism and xenophobia

 

[RexRex]

Like I said - if a England cricketer made a similar tongue-in-cheek comment about Adil Rashid or Moeen Ali - nobody here wud be laughing. Everyone wud be crying racism and xenophobia

Context is king.

Like I said .. the comment came during an interview with Harsha and thus likely for an Indian audience. The last thing on his mind would be to engage in nasty racism or prejudices. You should grow up.

 

[ElRaja]

Like I said - if a England cricketer made a similar tongue-in-cheek comment about Adil Rashid or Moeen Ali - nobody here wud be laughing. Everyone wud be crying racism and xenophobia

false equivalence, it would be like if either mo or rash were asked about each other, and everyone would have taken it as a joke. the irony is that in showing his lack of humour in the matter he confirms his inecurities around his ethnicity as it was one pathan making a comment about another.

 

[NishanKonar]

Context is king.

Like I said .. the comment came during an interview with Harsha and thus likely for an Indian audience. The last thing on his mind would be to engage in nasty racism or prejudices. You should grow up.

You can make such comments about people whom u consider a friend. when u say such things about someone u dont know personally - it becomes an issue

Like Yuvraj once used a casteist slur about Yuvi Chahal - there was not much issue as Yuvraj & Chahal know each other very well

But remember when Sehwag made that " baap " joke Shoaib Khtar - Shoaib was furious & rightly so

 

[The_KING]

Jinnah was right. Muslims in India will try to prove their loyalty forever and it won’t be enough.

 

[followed]

Jinnah was right. Muslims in India will try to prove their loyalty forever and it won’t be enough.

This is 100 percent absolute truth. I m from Jammu and i know how things are and how hard it is for muslims here.

You can't even imagine what we go through instagram our daily lives.

I wish family had stayed in pakistan after 1947 riots where my family lost many people during those horrific times.

Muslims from Jammu suffered the most in 1947 and muslims as whole are still suffering in India.

 

[Rajdeep]

This is 100 percent absolute truth. I m from Jammu and i know how things are and how hard it is for muslims here.

You can't even imagine what we go through instagram our daily lives.

I wish family had stayed in pakistan after 1947 riots where my family lost many people during those horrific times.

Muslims from Jammu suffered the most in 1947 and muslims as whole are still suffering in India.

Hey bro...welcome back. I was missing you since since you disappear after Harry Brooke's wicket on final test and never logged in back. You were once a brave Gujjar, remember?

 

[Devadwal]

Jinnah was right. Muslims in India will try to prove their loyalty forever and it won’t be enough.

Thankyou jinaah. india is certainly Better place because Afridi like Clown don't live here

 

[Devadwal]

Hey bro...welcome back. I was missing you since since you disappear after Harry Brooke's wicket on final test and never logged in back. You were once a brave Gujjar, remember?

He and @RizwanT20Champ hide as soon as their adopted team starts getting phainta.

 

[msb314]

Boo hoo...our team took a tournament and it's final out of your country this very year and won it.

How is that for "disappointment" ?

But you still didn’t show up and got to play all games on the same ground / conditions right?

 

[Mesozoic]

But you still didn’t show up and got to play all games on the same ground / conditions right?

Not sure what point you're trying to make here?

Or are you taking pride in the fact that Indian players are "scared" of visiting Pakistan? You do know that sounds pathetic as hell right considering the reason why they would be scared (if they're).

 

[shah9425]

This is 100 percent absolute truth. I m from Jammu and i know how things are and how hard it is for muslims here.

You can't even imagine what we go through instagram our daily lives.

I wish family had stayed in pakistan after 1947 riots where my family lost many people during those horrific times.

Muslims from Jammu suffered the most in 1947 and muslims as whole are still suffering in India.

Absolutely agreed with you

This clown tries his best to please Hindus poor guy what a life

 

[msb314]

Not sure what point you're trying to make here?

Or are you taking pride in the fact that Indian players are "scared" of visiting Pakistan? You do know that sounds pathetic as hell right considering the reason why they would be scared (if they're).

I think you know the point I am trying to make but are now deflecting the question…

You said Afridi suffered heartbreak on Indian soil after the two most important defeats of his career.. But the Indian Team doesn’t even show up to Pakistan when asked so not really a fair comparison no?

 

[TheSultan]

Irfan Pathan is such a wannabe. He was so slow He only took wickets due to lack of pace (and that’s without trying the slower ball)!

His famed hat-trick 72mph

 

[Snowflake]

Pretty understandable now why Gambhir despises Afridi so much. Regardless, I don't understand why would any sane person take someone like Afridi even seriously.​

Yeah, don’t try to make sense of Gambhir. That small man despises almost everyone and thinks that the world is out to get him. No one gives an eff how he thinks about Afridi.

Half your country talks about Afridi 24/7. Not a assessment of sanity by your standards.

 

[Ab Fan]

Afridi has always been a fraud and arrogant man off field with 0 IQ knowledge. Good on Irfan Pathan to show him his true place.

Everyone remembers his 0(1) in 2007 WT20 Final lol where Pathan knocked him over and won the WC for his team.

 

[Romali_rotti]

To be fair I don't think Irfan is a Pathan.

I know of south Indian Muslims claiming to be pathan and looks nothing like a pathan..

Afridis comments however is of poor taste.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

In India you must have a surname / family name after ur first name for govt registration. So if u dont have a surname - ur community name becomes ur surname - like Jat, Rajput, Gurjar, Pathan, Punjabi, Pandit, Maratha. Its fairly common in India

Example - Rizwan claims to be Pathan. If he was born in India - his name wud have been Rizwan Pathan

No his name would have been Mohammad Rizwan.
Irfan's name is already Irfan Khan Pathan so I am guessing someone from his lineage, maybe his father had just one given name.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

To be fair I don't think Irfan is a Pathan.

I know of south Indian Muslims claiming to be pathan and looks nothing like a pathan..

Afridis comments however is of poor taste.

Afridi said it 2 decades ago, and probably said it in jest, I saw that interview, he wasn't saying it as a serious thing.

 

[Mesozoic]

I think you know the point I am trying to make but are now deflecting the question…

You said Afridi suffered heartbreak on Indian soil after the two most important defeats of his career.. But the Indian Team doesn’t even show up to Pakistan when asked so not really a fair comparison no?

What comparison?

What even are you on about? I just said it was fitting to see Afridi leaving India in tears as an international player both the times he visited as a captain in ICC tournaments.

Where was I comparing that to anything or anyone? You moaning about India not visiting Pakistan would have made some sense if I actually referred to the Indian team somewhere in there. Either my point has completely gone over your head or you're just arguing for the sake of arguing , possibly due to getting triggered.

 

[Hellion]

Irfan just saying things just to stay relevant now. Afridi has always been a low life. We already know that

 

[TheSultan]

This is so true. Professional cricketers should not comment on stuff like race / religion / ethnicity / caste

Imagine if an English cricketer says something like that about a black cricketer like Jofra Archer is not English. Or that Moeen Ali is not English. He will be suspended immediately for making such racist comments

Not exactly the same thing is it? Your comparing nationality to ethnicity.

The equivalence is if someone says Irfan isn’t really Indian.

 

[Pakhs]

Irfan still crying over something that happened over 20 years ago? That too over the internet? I wonder why?

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria supported India's Irfan Pathan after Pathan revealed a heated 2006 incident with Shahid Afridi. Pathan described how Afridi made personal comments during a flight, leading Pathan to quip about Afridi "barking" and also made references to "dog meat," which left Afridi silent for the rest of the trip. Kaneria backed Pathan on social media, criticizing Afridi for his lack of "class and decency" and claiming Afridi often resorts to personal attacks about family and religion

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/shahid-afridi-blasted-by-ex-pakistan-star-after-irfan-pathans-dog-meat-story-class-9109844

 

[Rajdeep]

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria supported India's Irfan Pathan after Pathan revealed a heated 2006 incident with Shahid Afridi. Pathan described how Afridi made personal comments during a flight, leading Pathan to quip about Afridi "barking" and also made references to "dog meat," which left Afridi silent for the rest of the trip. Kaneria backed Pathan on social media, criticizing Afridi for his lack of "class and decency" and claiming Afridi often resorts to personal attacks about family and religion

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/shahid-afridi-blasted-by-ex-pakistan-star-after-irfan-pathans-dog-meat-story-class-9109844

Now even Afridi's team mates are accusing him of having lack of class. Wonder what Pak posters will say now.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Former Pakistan cricket team spinner Danish Kaneria supported Irfan Pathan after he revealed details about a heated exchange with Shahid Afridi:

“Irfan bhai, you're absolutely right. He always resorts to personal attacks, be it on someone's family or their religion. Class and decency clearly aren't his strengths,"