Former Pakistani cricket Mohammad Hafeez came under heavy fire during the Asia Cup 2022 for his comments on the Indian team and the Men in Blue cricketers when he termed them as the ‘laadla’ (pampered) when it comes to cricket.
He alluded to the extreme wealth of the BCCI and said that the cricket fraternity stays mum when it comes to criticizing the Indian cricketers.
During his discussion on PTV Sports before India's match against Pakistan in the Super Four of the continental tournament, Hafeez said:“I don't know a lot, but I definitely know that in our society, whoever is the earner is loved by everyone, is the most laadla (pampered), gets the most kisses from everyone. India is a revenue-making country. So even in bilateral series across the world, where they get sponsorship, they get a jackpot, it's hard to deny these things.”
Recently, Hafeez appeared in a Cricket Pakistan video and spoke extensively on the Pakistan T20 World Cup 2022 squad, and during the discussion, the anchor reminded him of his 'laadla’ comment about India and urged Hafeez to clarify the remark.
Hafeez said that he stood by his statement and explained the reason as well.
“If I'm being honest, it's a beautiful sport and every team play the game beautifully. They have their own styles of play, but we all know that when it comes to India, people stay silent about them on many things. It's almost as if you can't criticize India.
You should always indulge in constructive criticism. I have always been against biased opinions on a platform, and turn personal against someone. Many a times, some people think that they don't need advice on anything. It shouldn't be the case. You should always be open to advice and guidance. I have always remained honest with my statements, and talk about things that I learned from this game,” Hafeez said.
“It's my personal opinion and I said that. There is no doubt that the Indian players are big products, their name hold big value. But it isn't as if only they play well. Many other players inspire as well. That's why I used that word, because I feel they are being treated as 'laadla'. I stand by my statement,” he further said.
Hafeez had made some very controversial statements about Indian team during the continental tournament even calling India captain Rohit Sharma “afraid and confused".
