Wasim Jaffer reacts to Waqar Younis’ statement on Rizwan

Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has slammed Waqar Younis for the latter’s controversial statement on Mohammad Rizwan. On Sunday, October 24, Rizwan smashed an unbeaten 55-ball 79 with six fours and three sixes against India. He along with Babar Azam stitched together an unbeaten 152-run stand for the opening wicket and helped Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets.

Although he didn’t get the Player of the Match award, Rizwan conjured praises from the cricket fraternity. Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis was also delighted with the way Babar and Rizwan plied their trade in the middle. However, while praising the duo, Waqar said that he was happy to see Rizwan offer Nawaz around Hindus at the venues.

“The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashalla, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very special for me,” Waqar said.

The comments didn’t go down well with Jaffer by any stretch of the imagination. Jaffer took to Twitter and wrote, “Absolutely vile and disgusting comments from Waqar Younis. #Shameful.”

Wasim Jaffer’s tweet

Absolutely vile and disgusting comments from Waqar Younis. #Shameful

— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 27, 2021

Renowned cricket commentator Harsh Bhogle also expressed his disappointment on Waqar’s comments following the match in Dubai. “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,” Bhogle wrote.

After all the criticism, Younis has issued an apology and said that he didn’t mean to hurt the sentiments of people by any means. He said that he said those words in the “heat of the moment”.

“In the heat of the moment, I said something which I did not mean which has hurt the sentiments of many. I apologise for this, this was not intended at all, a genuine mistake. Sports unite people regardless of race, colour, or religion. #apologies,”

Rizwan, in the meantime, carried on with his good form in the game against New Zealand on Tuesday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He scored in the 30s as the Men in Green won back-to-back games in the Super 12s.