Amid a tense standoff between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, a war of words has erupted on social media between retired cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Shahid Afridi. The former Pakistan captain’s controversial comments over the Pahalgam attack prompted a sharp reply from Dhawan. As the former India opener reminded Shahid Afridi of the past India-Pakistan confrontations, including the Kargil war, the ex-cricketer from across the border gave a bizarre response. Even former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria doubled down on Afridi, calling him a ‘hypocrite’.
After the Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri local were killed by terrorists, Afridi appeared on a Pakistan television channel and blamed India’s security forces, questioning their efficiency. Shikhar Dhawan took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and posted a blistering reply.
He wrote, “Kargil mein bhi haraya tha, already itna gire hue ho aur kitna giroge, bewajah comments pass karne se acha hai apne desh ki taraqqi mai dimag lagao @SAfridiOfficial. Humein hamari Indian Army par bohot garv hai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Jai Hind! (We defeated you in Kargil, too. You have already fallen so low; how much lower will you go? Instead of making baseless comments, it would be better if you focused on your country’s development. We are very proud of our Indian Army. Bharat Mata Ki Jai! Jai Hind!)”
To which Afridi has now replied, “Chouro jeet haar ko, aao tumhey chae pilata hun Shikhar. #FantasticTea (Forget about wins and losses, I offer you tea Shikhar)”.
Chouro jeet haar ko , aao tumhey chae pilata hun Shikhar . #FantasticTea https://t.co/ilEOepsVm0 pic.twitter.com/T45O8o2XUR
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) April 29, 2025
Former Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria, who has been criticising his own government since the attack, launched a scathing attack at Afridi. He said: “Funny how someone who refuses to sit or eat with Hindus is suddenly inviting one for tea—didn’t realize hypocrisy came with a tea service.”
Funny how someone who refuses to sit or eat with Hindus is suddenly inviting one for tea—didn’t realize hypocrisy came with a tea service. https://t.co/64jmu9InxI
— Danish Kaneria (@DanishKaneria61) April 29, 2025
Speaking to Samaa TV, Afridi said, “Tum logon ki 8 lakh hi fauj hai Kashmir mein aur yeh ho gaya. Iska matlab nalayak ho, nikamme ho na tum log security de nahi sake logon ko (You have an 800,000-strong army in Kashmir and still this happened. It means you are inefficient and useless if you can’t provide security to the people).”
The terrorist attack in Pahalgam, blamed on Pakistan-backed terror outfits, is one of the deadliest in Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama attack, and has triggered global condemnation.
With IANS Inputs
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