Irfan Pathan, a former Indian cricketer noted for his honest analysis, has made his most direct attack on Pakistan and its former captain Shahid Afridi. Pathan talked about his long-standing rivalry with Afridi in a recent interview. He made a number of inflammatory comments that have since gone viral.
Pathan didn’t hold back when he criticized Pakistan, saying that people there have a big “misconception.”
“Ek toh Pakistaniyo ko na ye lagta hai ki saare jo musalman hai duniya ke unki jo zimmedaari hai unhone le rakhi hai,” Pathan remarked, which means “One thing about Pakistanis is that they feel as if they’ve taken responsibility for all the Muslims in the world.” That’s what they think is wrong.
The cricketer then talked about his fight with Shahid Afridi, which he said started early in his career when Afridi labeled himself the “real Pathan” and Irfan a “fake” Pathan in an interview.
Pathan thought the phrase was an insult to his family. “Badtameez aadmi hai” means “He is an ill-mannered man.” “I thought he was talking about more than just me; he was also talking about my father,” he stated.
This personal competition let him play better against the Pakistani great. Pathan said with pride, “I only thought about getting rid of him when I had the ball in my hand. I showed him who the true Pathan is by firing him 11 times. I got him out in key games, like the World Cup final and the series decider. In the 2007 T20 World Cup final, Pathan famously bowled Afridi out for a golden duck. This moment is now part of cricket history.
Pathan also remembered a stunning incident that happened off the field during a flight in 2006, when Afridi supposedly messed up his hair and dubbed him a “kid” in a disparaging way. Pathan’s strong reply made the argument worse, and the Indian star finally said something that shocked Afridi. Pathan says he told a teammate, who was close enough to hear, that Afridi had “eaten dog meat, that’s why he is barking for a long time.” This made Afridi stop barking for the rest of the flight.
Shahid Afridi has not yet officially responded to the former Indian all-rounder’s shocking comments.