Cricket, which is supposed to be a sport, has become a tool of anti-India propaganda in our neighbouring country Pakistan. Whether it is Shahid Afridi or Shoaib Akhtar who repeatedly attacked India over Kashmir, or former PM and former Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan who called cricket match between India and Pakistan ‘a way of Jihad’ against India, the hate against India and Hindus in India in particular from Pakistan cricketers has been ever-present.
Here are some examples of how Pakistani cricketers relentlessly spew venom against India.
It has to be noted that despite their hate towards India, there are some Indian media houses that often invite them for their shows. Even during these shows on Indian channels, they do not resist spewing venom against India.
Former cricketer and currently a coach, Javed Miandad, published a 9-minute anti-India video in 2020. The video was published a day before the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir. In the video, Miandad claimed that the Muslims in India knew how to fight, and they were ready to sacrifice themselves. Attacking PM Modi, he said, “I want to tell you, PM Modi, that you are finishing your country.”
Miandad also tried to provoke Sikhs in Amritsar while mentioning insurgency in Punjab and urged them to help Muslims in Kashmir. Miandad attacked PM Modi and called him a “blot on the nation”. He tried to provoke the Indians to come out and remove him from power.
Ironically, he accused India of attacks on minorities, especially Muslims. Miandad, while sitting in a country named Pakistan that has categorically attacked, killed, and converted the minority Hindu and Sikh population, accused India and Hindus of being intolerant.
For former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, a cricket match against India was always a ‘jihad’
Former Pakistan cricket captain and ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan had once said he viewed a cricketing contest against India not as a mundane match but as jihad. The revelation was made by former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, G Parthasarathy, who was once told by a Pakistani journalist that when he asked Imran Khan how he bowls with such fire against India, he responded ‘whenever I play against India, I don’t treat it as a game, I think of Kashmir and treat it as a jihad’.
Waqar Younis rant against Hindus
During a talk show last year, Waqar Younis praised the Pakistani players for offering Namaz at the ground. He was visibly gloating over the fact that Namaz was offered in “front of Hindus”. He said, “The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, sensible yet aggressive, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashallah, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very, very special for me.”
Waqar Younis was proud that Pak player read Namaz in middle of Hindus (Indian players). He is currently commentating with Indian Hindu commentators. Indians pretending as if nothing happened. Waqar ‘bhai’ enjoying Stockholm syndrome of Hindus.pic.twitter.com/ELTVJSCnf4
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) August 28, 2022
There have been other instances in the past when Waqar Younis has not shied away from his bigoted rants against Hindus. Years ago, Younis remarked that Indians could not bowl fast because they do not consume beef. The snide remark was meant for Hindus who refrain from consuming beef as a cow is considered a sacred animal according to Hinduism.
Shoaib Akhtar endorsed the two-nation theory
In an interview on the Indian channel Aaj Tak, Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar recently endorsed the two-nation theory that led to the partition of India. While speaking on a cricket show organised by the channel, Shoaib Akhtar said he believed in the two-nation theory.
Shoaib Akhtar’s comments on Aaj Tak reflect the clarity in Pakistanis and their staunch belief in two nation theory despite everything else. Important for Idiots from Indian side who lost half state to Pakistan in 1947 to keep Pakistanis intention in mind.pic.twitter.com/0GynpF85zv
— Rahul Sahu (@iRahulSahu) October 25, 2021
The two-nation theory was first promulgated by Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of the Aligarh Muslim University. The theory asserts that Muslims and Hindus form two separate nations that cannot coexist peacefully in one country.
It is worth noting that the two-nation theory became the cornerstone of the Muslim League’s demand for a separate country for Indian Muslims, which triggered a violent spate of Hindu-Muslim clashes across the country and ultimately resulted in the partition of India into two nations—Pakistan and India.
Shoaib Akhtar echoed the Gawza-e-Hind prophecy
Shoaib Akhtar had lent his support to an extremist ideology. In a news chat show, Shoaib Akhtar advocated the Islamic supremacist fantasy of ‘Ghazwa-e-Hind’, stating that Islamic forces will capture Kashmir and invade India.
Here @shoaib100mph talking about Gazwa-E-Hind. How he wants i$lamic rule on all over India…conquering Kashmir & then entire India…
— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) October 24, 2021
Still shameless @aajtak @StarSportsIndia etc give him platform to talk nonsense.
pic.twitter.com/gpTlKL8chW
“It is written in our scriptures that Ghazwa e Hind will take place. The river in Attock will be coloured red twice with blood. Forces from Afghanistan will reach Attock. Then after that, forces will rise from Shamal Mashriq, and different contingents will arrive from Uzbekistan etc. This refers to Khorasan, a historical region that extended to Lahore. Later those forces will conquer Kashmir, and then, inshallah, they will march onwards (to the rest of India),” Shoaib Akhtar said.
The term Ghazwa-e-Hind or a holy raid of India has been used by Pakistani terrorists against India for decades. The concept of Ghazwa-e-hind is rooted in several works of Islamic literature. The doctrine prophesizes a pitched battle between Hindus and Muslims before (qayamat), resulting in a decisive victory of Muslims over Hindu India.
Saeed Anwar had said all non-Muslims will be incinerated in hellfire
Former Pakistani batsman Saeed Anwar was another cricketer who supported Islamic supremacism and treated non-Muslims with contempt. In a meeting, Anwar said all non-Muslims were going to be incinerated in hellfire, and it was the duty of Muslims to save them by converting them into Islam.
Proof 7 #CricketJihad: Saeed Anwar – “All 6 Billion non-Muslims will burn in hell. Let’s save them by converting them to Islam.”@WasimJaffer14 crying for Pakistan cricket won’t tell u thispic.twitter.com/Fbd10F1d1z
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) September 21, 2021
“There are 6 billion non-Muslims. They are all going to burn in hellfire. It’s Muslims’ duty to save them by converting them to Islam,” he said.
‘No non-Muslim can ever enter Jannat, but even the worst Muslim criminal can’: Muhammad Yousuf
This view was concurred by Mohammad Yousuf, who renounced Christianity and converted to Islam after his selection to the Pakistan cricket team. In a speech years after embracing Islam, Yousuf said no non-Muslim can ever enter Jannat, but Allah will send even the worst Muslim criminals to Jannat.
Proof 15 #CricketJihad #PakistanCricket: Mohammad Yusuf-” No Non-Muslim can enter Jannat ever. But Allah will send even a worst criminal Muslim to Jannat (all Taliban, ISIS!).”
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) September 21, 2021
Meanwhile @WasimJaffer14 is angry with England for betraying Pakistan cricketpic.twitter.com/LnsqyBLDka
‘If Muslims show their Muslim-ism, not one human on earth will remain non-Muslim’: Inzamam-ul-Haq
Another Pakistani cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq, who had captained the Pakistani cricket team and also served as chief selector, had also spewed venom against non-Muslims. In an interview, Inzamam-ul-Haq warned that if Muslims started showing their Muslimism, not one human on earth would remain non-Muslim.
Proof 12 #CricketJihad: Inzamam- “Pak team would invite Indian Muslim players @IrfanPathan @MohammadKaif @ImZaheer to listen to Pak Mullah @TariqJamilOFCL‘s speeches in Pak dressing room. @harbhajan_singh almost converted listening to Islamic speeches.pic.twitter.com/TlpEnd6iHN
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) September 21, 2021
Sharing details about how the Pakistani dressing room was a breeding ground for disseminating Islam, Inzamam-ul-Haq had once said that Indian Muslim cricketers were invited to hear mullah in the Pakistani dressing room, adding that Harbhajan Singh had almost converted to Islam.
Proof 6 #CricketJihad: Inzamam ul Haq wants all non-Muslims to convert to Islam. Shares how to Islamise whole world.
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) September 21, 2021
@WasimJaffer14 crying for Pakistan cricket won’t tell u thispic.twitter.com/2I1iNnSxAr
Kohli praised Babar Azam
Contrary to how Pakistani cricketers spew venom against India and Hindus, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli recently praised Pakistani captain Babar Azam. Hailing Babar as “the top batsman in the world across formats” currently, Kohli said the Pakistani batsman is the kind of player world cricket needs. “The first interaction I had with him was the 2019 World Cup after the game in Manchester. He and Imad (Wasim). Imad I have known since Under-19 cricket, we have played against each other and Imad said Babar wanted to have a chat,” Kohli said during his interaction with Star Sports.
“We sat down and spoke about the game. I saw a lot of regard and respect from him and that hasn’t changed regardless of the fact that he is probably the top batsman in the world right now across formats, performing so consistently,” Kohli said about Babar Azam. While Kohli heaped praises on Babar Azam, he had once asked his fan not to live in India if they loved batters from other countries. During his interactions with fans on social media, Kohli said “those who prefer English and Australian batsmen should not live in India.”
