Kamran Akmal made an offensive joke about Arshdeep Singh and the Sikh community on a live television show. Harbhajan Singh fiercely criticized Akmal, describing his remarks as ‘filthy.’
Former Indian spinner and World Cup champion Harbhajan Singh has issued a strong response to Kamran Akmal’s recent racist remarks about Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh. Akmal’s comments, made during the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup match on June 9 in New York, have been widely condemned.
Harbhajan Singh fiercely criticized Akmal, describing his remarks as ‘filthy.’ The controversy erupted after Akmal made an offensive joke about Arshdeep and the Sikh community on a live television show.
In a social media post, Harbhajan Singh said, “You should know the history of Sikhs before you open your filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved your mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock. Shame on you. Have some Gratitude.”
Following the backlash, Kamran Akmal issued an apology to Harbhajan and the Sikh community. In a note posted on X, formerly Twitter, Akmal wrote, “I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry.”
Before Harbhajan’s response, Kamran Akmal had already been facing criticism for his comments. He was also seen laughing at another insensitive comment from a panelist during the same show.
Despite the controversy, the India vs Pakistan match was played in good spirits at Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York. Players from both teams displayed camaraderie, with Shaheen Afridi and Rishabh Pant sharing a high-five and other players exchanging handshakes and embraces before the national anthems.
After the closely contested match, Indian captain Rohit Sharma showed sportsmanship by consoling a tearful Naseem Shah, who had given his all in the game, taking three wickets and hitting two boundaries in the final over. Despite his efforts, Pakistan fell short of the 120-run target by seven runs.
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With two wins from two matches, India currently tops the Group A points table. In contrast, Pakistan faces the risk of an early exit from the tournament, having lost both their matches, including one against co-hosts USA in Grand Prairie last week.