Shahid Afridi may have retired from cricket, but the former Pakistan captain refuses to retire from making controversial comments.
In his latest outing on Pakistan’s Samaa TV, Afridi swapped the bat for soundbites and praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him a man of “positive mindset” and dialogue, while accusing the Narendra Modi government of weaponising religion for political gains.
And then, with his trademark flair for theatrics, Afridi said: “Is one Israel not enough that you are trying to become another?”
While India’s leader of Opposition chose not to react, the BJP didn’t let this go unhooked. Its national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala declared that “everyone who hates India finds an ally in Rahul Gandhi,” while IT cell chief Amit Malviya branded Afridi a “rabid Hindu-hater.”
For Afridi, though, this is familiar turf — headlines, hashtags, outrage, and repeat.
For a man who once led a Karachi rally to celebrate Islamabad’s ‘victory’ in Operation on the day Indian cricketer Virat Kohli retired from Test retirement, Afridi has made a career out of reinventing himself as an expert commentator on India.
When not accusing Indian media of turning terror into “Bollywood fiction,” he’s popping up uninvited at Dubai alumni gatherings, smirking “Hogaya Boom Boom” to cheering crowds.
Every few months, whether through a pro-Kashmir rally, a jibe at Indian soldiers, or a fresh analogy dragged in from the Middle East, Afridi reminds the world that he still exists. Even if cricket is done with him.
Now, with the Asia Cup handshake controversy serving as the backdrop, Afridi has found a new pitch — Rahul Gandhi.