'I believe I spoke the truth and I have the right to speak the truth. I am a soldier of my country. My country is my honour and Pakistan is everything for me,' says Afridi.
It seems old age is catching up with the 'forever young' Shahid Afridi. The cricketer has launched a stern defence after being ridiculed for his inflammatory statement on Kashmir. The only issue being, it doesn't make much sense.
The former Pakistan captain said that he is a soldier of his country and would have joined the army if he wasn't a cricketer.
"If I had not been a cricketer, I would have joined the army. I'm not worried about the response to my tweet from some. I believe I spoke the truth and I have the right to speak the truth. I am a soldier of my country. My country is my honour and Pakistan is everything for me," Afridi was quoted as saying by Pak Passion.
Forgetting that he played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 (for the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers), Afridi said that he wouldn't play in the IPL even if he was invited.
"Even if they call me, I won't go to the IPL. My PSL is the biggest and there will be a time that it leaves the IPL behind. I am enjoying the PSL, I don't have any need for the IPL. I'm not interested in it and never was," said the 38-year-old.
After Indian security forces in Kashmir killed 12 terrorists earlier this week, Afridi had taken to Twitter and said "innocents" were being shot down in Kashmir.
"Appalling and worrisome situation ongoing in the Indian Occupied Kashmir.Innocents being shot down by oppressive regime to clamp voice of self determination & independence. Wonder where is the @UN & other international bodies and why aren't they making efforts to stop this bloodshed?" Afridi tweeted on Tuesday.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said his priority stays with his nation and that he would never support anyone who opposes his country. "As an Indian you want to express what is best for your nation and my interests are always for the benefit of our nation. If anything opposes it, I would never support it for sure. But having said that, it's a very personal choice for someone to make comment about certain issues," Kohli said.
The 29-year-old, who is set to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the upcoming 11th edition of the Indian Premier League, added, "Unless I have total knowledge of the issues and the intricacies of it I don't engage in it. Obviously, it goes without saying that your priority stays with your nation and anything that opposes it, you oppose it as well."
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev also hit back at Afridi over his anti-India remark, saying that one should not give importance to people like the former Pakistan skipper. "Who is he? Why are we giving importance to him? We should not be giving importance to certain people," Dev, who won India's first World Cup in 1983, said.
Joining the bandwagon of cricketers slamming Afridi for his controversial tweet on Kashmir issue, Indian batsman Suresh Raina called on the 38-year-old to rather ask Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in Kashmir. "Kashmir is an integral part of India and will remain so always. Kashmir is the pious land where my forefathers were born. I hope @SAfridiOfficial bhai asks Pakistan Army to stop terrorism and proxy war in our Kashmir. We want peace, not bloodshed and violence," he tweeted.
Soon after Afridi's tweet, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir had mocked the former Pakistan player and referred to him as a perennially immature person. Gambhir had written that Afridi's tweet on the current situation in Kashmir and his reference to United Nations was according to "his age bracket".
"Media called me for reaction on @SAfridiOfficial tweet on OUR Kashmir and @UN. What's there to say' Afridi is only looking for @UN which in his retarded dictionary means "UNDER NINTEEN" his age bracket. Media can relax, @SAfridiOfficial is celebrating a dismissal off a no-ball!!! (sic)," Gambhir tweeted.
At least 12 terrorists and three soldiers were among 20 people killed in three separate encounters that broke out in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday. As many as 25 others were injured in the encounters.
(Inputs from ANI)
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