I've never been Afridi's biggest fan. But his recent form with the ball, and his leadership in the World Cup changed my mind...well, sort of. I have always found him to be mercurial, and capable of doing anything. From scoring a hundred in 30-40 balls to being out playing the most atrocious shot in the books, to mistaking cricket balls for apples.
A day after his return to Pakistan, he held a brief press conference on his front porch . In a question asked by one of the reporters regarding losing to India, Lala fired back, questioning why Pakistanis look towards India with jaundiced eyes. Why do we dislike India while Indian movies, tv sitcoms and channels are watched avidly in Pakistani homes? Why do we follow Indian traditions at weddings but we can't not bear to see them win a cricket match? I was proud of the maturity Afridi showed in that press conference, as he took on the role of a peace ambassador between the two countries. His words must have caused a moment of self reflection for many Pakistanis. He won hearts in Pakistan and in India after his performance during the World Cup and was continuing to do so after it.
A day later in another tv interview, Afridi bowled the proverbial doosra. In a question asked regarding the kindness and hospitality of Indian people in Mohali, he exclaimed that our Pakistani and Muslim hearts are much bigger than those of our neighbours to the East. While he spoke frankly, he offended many people around the world by saying that Muslims and Pakistanis have cleaner intentions in our hearts while others don't. He also said that we can not sustain a healthy relationship with India, laying the blame on a third country, most likely America. Apparently, this third country will never let Pakistan and India enjoy a harmonious relationship. Just for good measure, he blasted the Indian media for being negative towards Pakistan and for being an obstacle in the way of improving Indo Pak relations.
So, Afridi went from questioning bigotry to championing it in a matter of hours. Given his erratic nature, there are no surprises here. I wouldn't be surprised if he regrets the things he said now, or for day or two, before changing his mind again. With Afridi, you just never know what to expect next. Such is the wiring in Afridi's mind. But seriously, he must start choosing his words carefully. As an ambassador for Pakistan it is important that he continues efforts to promote a peaceful relationship with all our neighbours. By claiming that Muslims and Pakistanis have cleaner hearts, he is being extremely offensive to a lot of people, whether Muslims or not. This been said, perhaps Afridi was upset with the comments made by Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir, who said he is sure that the win over Pakistan will have helped victims of 26/11 Mumbai attack. Does that mean Gambhir thinks he was playing against Kassab XI in Mohali? Does beating Pakistan in a cricket match avenge the bloodshed in Mumbai or defeat terrorism? What about all the innocent Pakistanis who have died from terrorism, Gautam? One can only wonder why a technically gifted batsman like Gambhir would play such a loose shot.
With sweeping statements like these by super stars from both India and Pakistan, we can not move away from the rhetoric of the past 60 years. I was told by Sufi Salman Ahmad (Junoon) today that if there's ever a chance of Indo Pak peace, it is in this decade, as 60% (750 million) Indians and Pakistanis are under the age of 20. A clear message that the young are capable of influencing a change for peace. It's important to note who influences the young the most. Cricketers have always been idols for the young Pakistanis and Indians, and if they continue to make such ill advised statements, we can't bridge the gaps of insecurities and trust.
7 comments:
dude cant you just enjoy your wc win and stop writing all this. What Gambhir said nobody criticized or wrote articles on that. Seriously dude fudge off.
Hey Friend, First of all I would like to appreciate your willingness towards peace with india. We most Indians here also want the same. I don't see anything wrong in Gambir's statement. Is it wrong to dedicate a victory to ppl and their families who died of terrorism ?. Correct me if I am wrong. Would you have accepted his statement with full heart if the terrorists were from some other country?. You have people dieing cos of terrorism and your victories dedications should go to them. I do not see any reason why you are angry with Gambir's statement. Pls do reply and correct me if i am wrong
What Gambhir said has been taken grossly out of context. I will quote below the question he was asked and his complete answer.
Q.: Do you think that will soothe their pain?
A.: I am sure the win against Pakistan would have helped. Once on a trip to Jammu, I met some army men. They told me whatever we do, whoever we play; we should never lose to Pakistan. One of them was posted at the Indo-Pak border and was so emotional that he suggested that I should have a tattoo on my body saying, "I will never lose to Pakistan".
While I do not approve of such views, I really cannot say anything against the army men who had these views for those are the men who have to fight the terrorists and face their bullets, be it Indian, Pakistani or any other nationality!
Afridi's views, on the other hand, were weird. He said those things without any provocation. From what I can remember of the Youtube video I saw, the interviewer had asked him about his views on Indian hospitality, after telling him that the fans had found it pretty good (I distinctly recall the interviewer sharing an anecdote about getting an ice-cream). On this question, Afridi chose to convey his feelings of superiority.
Naturally, these comments have not gone down well with an average Indian cricket fan. There have been tweets about the fact that the last time a cricket team visited Pakistan, they were shot at. And in comparison, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have just successfully hosted a very good World Cup.
For my part, I choose to ignore the comments made by him considering him to be a man of many minds (something similar to what you opined). But like you wrote, his words need to be chosen carefully for he is seen as an ambassador of Pakistan in whichever country he vists!
uhh..what prevents any pak player from dedicating their success to their countrymen who have fallen victim to a terror attack?
Gambhir didnt equivocate muslims with pakistan - after all he plays in a multi religious team. If strauss had dedicated his victory to the victims of 7/7 would you have been upset? Ambik.
Thanks for your comments. I dont have a problem with Gambhir dedicating the final to the victims of Mumbai. The only problem I have is with him saying he is "sure" that the win against Pakistan helped victims of the Mumbai attacks. Like India, there are many people in Pakistan, including myself, who mourned the loss of life in Mumbai after 26/11. The Pakistani cricket team represents the people of Pakistan who want peace. There are thousands of people who have lost their lives in Pakistan to terrorism too. People who died on Samjhota Express were not by the hands of terrorist elements from Pakistan, but in India. The idea of my article was that cricketers should be careful about what they say, and I criticized both, Afridi and Gambhir equally. Gambhir could have said that there are a lot of people in Pakistan who want peace with India and beating Pakistan in a cricket game should encourage that process of peace. Everyone has their opinion on the matter, but this is mine.
Said, I agree that both Gambhir and Afridi were being insensitive and crass. If Gambhir had dedicated the WC victory to 26/11 victims, it would have been lauded. Why Pakistan match specially ? It is only rekindling hatred. Afridi if he had stopped with Pakistanis having a larger heart, it would have been dismissed as usual nationalism. But by bringing religion into picture, he shot himself in the foot. But saying that, we also should not give too much importance to non-cricketing opinions of cricketers or expect them to be ambassadors of peace et al.
Just look Afridi
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