5 Shahid Afridi comments that will make you go, "Did he really say that?"

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi controversially said that Indians are not as large-hearted

Shahid Afridi and controversies go hand and hand. The evergreen all-rounder has been a constant in the Pakistani line up for the 20th year running now, and he has never been away from the limelight.Also read: Australia vs Pakistan, ICC T20 WC 2016: LIVE streaming info, prediction, squads, match date and match timeApart from his impulsive batting and sprightly yet sporadic match-winning performances, Afridi has frequently found himself at the centre of scathing attacks from critics and fans alike, owing to his careless public statements over the years. Often, he walks himself into tricky situations with statements that are sure to ruffle many feathers.Here are some of the controversial comments by the 36-year-old:

#1 Indians are not as large hearted as us

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi controversially said that Indians are not as large-hearted

Afridi brew up a storm right after his team’s semi-final against India in the 2011 World Cup by saying that Indians are not as large-hearted as them.

"In my opinion, if I have to tell the truth, they (Indians) will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis. I don't think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us,"

Among others, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh reacted to Afridi’s comments. While Harbhajan said that such comments are a hindrance to the love Afridi receives in India, Yuvraj made a friendly jibe at the Pakistani fielding by saying that they showed their large-heartedness by dropping catches that helped India win the marquee event.

#2 I have seen Sachin trembling while facing Shoaib

Shahid Afridi shoaib Akhtar
Afridi backed Akhtar’s claims that Sachin Tendulkar trembled while facing the pacer

In his autobiography titled ‘Controversially Yours’, Shoaib Akhtar made a tall claim that Sachin Tendulkar used to be distinctly uncomfortable when facing him. He faced a lot of flak from former and current players for his comments, which ranged from his disparaging views on certain cricketers to his animosity towards the Pakistani Cricket board.

Afridi went on to back his former team-mate’s claim to the extent that he himself saw the Indian legend ‘tremble’ while facing the Pakistani speedster.

"He (Tendulkar) was scared of Shoaib. I have seen it myself. I was fielding at square leg and saw his legs trembling when Shoaib came on to bowl,"

Afridi didn’t mention a particular incident, or match to back his claim.

#3 \"Thanks, My N****\"

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi used the ‘N’ word

Cricketers aren’t exactly expected to be great orators, and post-match conferences tend to be a hard exercise for those who haven’t had English as their first or second language.

Mark Nicholas, the English commentator, was on the receiving end of something unexpected when interviewing Shahid Afridi during a match between Pakistan and Ireland in the ICC World Cup at Adelaide last year.

Afridi ended the final question with something which sounded racial and highly inappropriate on live TV. The video went viral and generated tremendous buzz on the web. Afridi came to his own defence with a tweet which itself was incoherent owing to the language barrier.

#4 Our women are good cooks

Shahid Afridi
Pakistan women’s cricket team were not impressed by Afridi’s comments

Women’s cricket is slowly gaining ground across the world, on the back of the game’s rising popularity and the right amount of marketing and sponsorship.

Shahid Afridi, however, made a chauvinistic remark on Women’s cricket in an interview with a Pakistani news channel two years back.

When the news anchor asked Afridi about his views on a women’s cricket team in Peshawar, Afridi laughed and replied this:“Our women have great taste in their hands and they cook very tasty food,”

A father of four daughters himself, his remarks left a bad taste in the mouth of women’s organizations and analysts.

#5 A lot of people are here from Kashmir as well

Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi brought up Kashmir in his comments prior to the New Zealand game

The political tension between India and Pakistan has been around for years, and cricketing ties between the two teams have been an unfortunate victim. At a time when Pakistan’s participation for the ICC T20 World Cup was a question mark a while back, Afridi brought up an unnecessary topic that is sure to do the rounds over the next few days.

Before the start of the World T20 match against New Zealand at Mohali, Afridi raked up Kashmir, of all things, in a pre-match talk. When asked by Rameez Raja about the support from the Indian crowds, Afridi replied:

"Ya, a lot of people, a lot of people are here from Kashmir as well. And I want to thank people of Kolkata, they really support us as well,"

Just a few days back, he was at the epicenter of a controversy when he claimed that his team got more love in India than in Pakistan, a statement which was met with severe criticism back in his country.

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Edited by Staff Editor