Former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who is known for making controversial statements, has landed himself in hot water with a distasteful remark on Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Speaking at an event in Karachi, Razzaq on Monday (November 13) suggested that marrying Aishwarya would not guarantee the birth of a pious child.

As soon as the video of his comment went viral on social media, Razzaq drew flak from the fans and a few former cricketers from both sides of the border.

Seeing the outrage over his statement, the retired cricketer issued an apology, saying that it was only a 'slip of tongue'.

"Yesterday, we were talking about cricket coaching and intentions. I had a slip of tongue and mistakenly took Aishwarya Rai's name. I apologise to her personally. I did not intend to hurt anyone's sentiment," Razzaq said on SAMAA TV.

Abdul Razzaq was accompanied by former teammates Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi among others in the event, where a journalist asked him about Pakistan’s dismal performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.

In reply, Razzaq ended up making ill-worded remarks about the actress while giving an example of good intentions.

"Here, I am referring to their (PCB's) intention. While I was playing, I was aware of my captain Younis Khan's good intentions. That gave me strength and confidence, and with Allah's help, I was able to perform well for Pakistani cricket," Razzaq had said.

He added: "We don't really intend to improve and enhance the players, in my opinion. That will never happen if you believe that I will marry Aishwarya (Rai) to have a good-natured and moral child. Therefore, you must first amend your intentions."