What did Waqar Younis say to offend Indian fans?
Karachi: Pakistan’s former captain Waqar Younis has drawn criticism over his controversial remarks made on a TV channel after
green-shirts beat India in a T20 World Cup match on Sunday.
The bowling legend, while lauding Mohammad Rizwan, said he was glad that the Pakistani batsman offered Namaz (Muslim prayers) in front of Hindus during the break.
Indian cricket commentator and journalist Harsha Bhogle expressed disappointment over Waqar’s remarks and asked him to apologize.
Here’s what he said:
For a person of Waqar Younis’ stature to say that watching Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus was very special to him, is one of the most disappointing things I have heard. A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible.
I really hope that a lot of genuine sportslovers in Pakistan are able to see the dangerous side to this statement and join in my disappointment. It makes it very difficult for sportslovers like us to try and tell people it is just sport, just a cricket match.
You would think that cricketers, as ambassadors of our game, would be a little more responsible. I am sure there will be an apology on the way from Waqar. We need to unite the cricket world, not divide it by religion.”