Following the wide backlash on social media, Pakistani cricketer Abdul Razzaq, in a viral video, can be heard clearing his stand. In a nearly 27-second video, he stated, “I’m Abdul Razaaq…yesterday, during the press conference, we were discussing cricket coaching and intentions. I had a slip of the tongue and mistakenly took Aishwarya Rai’s name. I apologize to her personally. I did not intend to hurt anyone. I had to give some other example, but mistakenly used her name.”
Remarkably, the apology comes hours after several former teammates and prominent figures in the cricket community condemned Razzaq’s statement.
Renowned Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, expressing his displeasure over the statement, had written a note on social media that reads, “We don’t really intend to improve and enhance the players, in my opinion. That will never happen if you believe that I will marry Aishwarya (Rai) to have a good-natured and moral child. Therefore, you must first amend your intentions.”
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About Abdul Razzaq’s controversial statement
For the unversed, Pakistan’s media, during the recent press conference, raised questions about the team’s performance during the ICC World Cup 2023. Targeting the Pakistan Cricket Board, Razzaq said, “Here, I am referring to their (PCB’s) intention. While I was playing, I was aware of my captain Younis Khan’s good intentions. That gave me strength and confidence, and with Allah’s help, I was able to perform well for Pakistani cricket.”
He further added, “We don’t really intend to improve and enhance the players, in my opinion. That will never happen if you believe that I will marry Aishwarya (Rai) to have a good-natured and moral child. Therefore, you must first amend your intentions.”
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