AFRIDI’S COMMENTS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT
Fawad Khan (r) seen here with Sidharth Malhotra (l) and Alia Bhatt, promoting their latest release “Kapoor and Sons” in Bengaluru, Mar. 12. (Shailendra Bhojak | PTI)
Actor Fawad Khan says Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s comments that Pakistan’s cricketers were loved more by Indians than the fans in his country were blown out of context. (#Bollywood, #Cricket, #ICCT20WorldCup2016, #FawadKhan, @FawadKhan, #Siliconeer, @Siliconeer, #KapoorAndSons, #ShahidAfridi, #India, #PakistanCricket, #Pakistan)
Fawad Khan, the 34-year-old Pakistani heartthrob, who was in New Delhi to promote his upcoming Bollywood film “Kapoor & Sons,” said the issue will die down soon.
“What happened with Afridi, I think it happens everywhere and anywhere that someone comes and creates an issue saying ‘You said wrong or did wrong.’ When Afridi said ‘Indian fans have given us more love than what we get in Pakistan,’ it was in some other context but something else was made out of it,” Fawad told reporters.
“I feel he gave the statement just to ease up the environment. This is a momentary thing. Somebody has just tried to misuse the quote. That will die with time. It doesn’t mean that anyone can question his patriotism. He is a very proud Pakistani. And we are proud to have him as a representative of our country,” he added.
A day after his comments, Pakistan cricket captain Afridi was dragged to court for “committing treason” and “hurting sentiments” of Pakistanis.
Team India and Pakistan will lock horns on March 19 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata and the “Khoobsurat” actor said like any other fan he too is excited about the match.
“I am excited. There is always an excitement of India-Pakistan match. It is one of the best competition and a fun competition. When I was kid I used to take the results on heart but now I take it just as a match which has lots of fun,” he said.