I would like to first mention that I was always a fan of Mohammad Yousuf the batter. During his playing career, he was one of the finest and most elegant batters in world cricket.
I also understand that he did not come from a background with exposure to structured education or modern fitness regimens. With those, he could have prolonged his career and been an even better version of himself. However unlike many other cricketers who evolved as people over time despite coming from similar backgrounds, Mohammad Yousuf’s blatant refusal to acknowledge and work on his non-cricketing flaws has been the most disappointing aspect of his life as a man in my opinion. It limited him after retirement from becoming a truly international-standard coach and analyst of the game.
The language that he used in this instance is truly regrettable in itself, even more given the platform he used to do it as a distinguished guest on live TV where it is his duty as a professional to adhere to civilized language. By his action he not only disgraced himself but also the TV channel whose studio he was sitting in. I would also like to say that although the anchor tried to correct him once but when he did not stop, the anchor in his capacity should have immediately regretted on air the language used and should have asked Yousuf to correct himself in a polite manner. The encouraging behaviour of the anchors was a sad spectacle. Sawera has had millions of views from India and has been a good professional, it’s sad to see her being a silent spectator in this occasion, making her equally guilty as host.
As for people who are celebrating and justifying this moment, I say that we should not reach a point where we begin justifying new lows in the name of retaliation. A few months ago, when war hysteria gripped us, many engaged in passionate debates on here( but still within the boundaries of civilised language, even when the message was aggressive. These are not just forum rules, but fundamental principles that deserve the highest regard, more so in tense times.
The Indian cricket team’s decision to avoid handshakes with Pakistani players has divided opinion. I believe it was the wrong step. My view was clear - BCCI should have abandoned this match or even the entire tournamen because it was far too soon for both nations to play cricket after coming dangerously close to a catastrophic conflict. A cooling-off period was necessary. Instead, both boards prioritised money over sentiment, and BCCI, to save face domestically, instructed players to skip handshakes as a token gesture. This was misguided, and rightly criticised. Sports should not be played this way.
Worse, our captain chose to bring politics into the sport with a speech no one asked for. That was against the spirit of cricket. If Pakistani players had done the same, I would have demanded equal punishment.
In short, we committed two blunders:
1. Playing Pakistan too soon.
2. Mixing politics with cricket.
The second deserves formal sanction. I expect ordinary fans to be angry, even abusive. But former cricketers are not ordinary fans. They are role models and must use language befitting their stature.
This is why Yousuf’s words are disappointing. He is a celebrated legend, admired for his batting and the values he once spoke about publicly. But his language in anger was unworthy of his stature. We cannot allow a culture where players and ex-players trade low level insults across borders, it risks spilling onto real life in ugly ways.
Saner heads must prevail. Both sides need to de-escalate, at least in cricket. I urge the Government of India and the ICC to reprimand the BCCI for this episode. The international cricket community must take note that petty politics have damaged the spirit of the game. And players on both sides must commit to civilised language, no matter how passionate the circumstances.
Let us not justify wrongdoing, by anyone.
Finally, as an old poster here, I urge forum members that you please express your views with pride, but do so with gentlemanly language. Don’t let emotions drive you into abuse.
There’s a saying for that — when you’re actually hurt by someone’s trolling, you start attacking their appearance." 
. That’s the fundamental difference.
