Former Pakistan cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Ramiz Raja went viral recently. That was inevitable. Razzaq referred to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in a highly objectionable statement while talking about cricket and cricketers in Pakistan. Raja laughed at a racist remark directed at the West Indies legend Vivian Richards, who had a relationship with actress Neena Gupta in the 1990s. The amount of criticism that has followed conveys a message for well-known persons from all walks of life. Choose words wisely, and learn to control laughter.
The Razzaq controversy erupted after the former all-rounder’s inappropriate reference to Rai Bachchan at a press conference. Discussing Pakistan’s cricket, he roughly said this in Urdu,” “We do not really intend to improve the players, in my opinion. That will never happen if you believe I will marry Aishwarya (Rai) to have a good-natured and pious child. So, you must first amend your intentions.” A clip was shared online, followed by criticism from fans and several former cricketers. Razzaq apologised later, stating that his comment was a ‘slip of tongue.’ Really?
Even if Razzaq’s penitence is genuine as opposed to a calculated response, his so-called slip of tongue will live on in the limitless memory of social media. Fellow former cricketers Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi were part of the panel, too. Both of them appeared to have endorsed what Razzaq said. However, they denied it later, which was hardly surprising. Dealing with the consequences of criticism is not easy – even if a person gives reasons that result in what happens.
Meanwhile, designer and actor Masaba Gupta has slammed former cricketer and ex-Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ramiz Raja for laughing at a racist remark targeting her parents, Richards and Gupta. Gupta’s post on X (formerly Twitter) read, “Dear Ramiz Raja (sir) grace is a quality few have. My father, mother and I have it in spades. You have none. Sickening to see you laugh on national TV in Pakistan at something the world stopped laughing at about 30 years back. Step into the future. All 3 of us are here with our chin up. #ramizraja.” So, what really happened? A racist remark made by a woman, who appeared to be a show host, went viral. She referred to Richards, the West Indies legend, as a ‘kaalia.’ It is difficult to imagine how anybody can use such a word on a TV show. But, she did. And, Raja started laughing.
What made Raja laugh? It is possible that he is unable to distinguish between what is genuinely funny and what is not. Perhaps, he is not too fond of Richards, the first seven years of his international career having coincided with the latter’s last seven years as part of the West Indies team. Few will question the fact that Richards was a force of nature and the best batsman in the world when Raja made his international debut in 1984. So, was the opportunity to laugh at a remark directed at the great man a temptation Raja could not resist? Whatever the reason may be, he would not have invited criticism had he tried to remain expressionless – and succeeded.
Pakistan’s cricket needs urgent attention. The national team crashed out of the ICC World Cup in the Group stage without making much impact. Babar Azam, who came under fire for his uninspiring leadership, resigned from captaincy in all formats. The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the appointment of Shan Masood as the Test captain. Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the squad in the T20 format. Neither would have been necessary had Pakistan performed satisfactorily – or, as some have said on social media, defeated the far superior India in the Group stage and surrendered to all other teams except Afghanistan!
With cricket in Pakistan going through a predictable change, opinions of former players like Raja and Razzaq have an undeniable value. But, they must stick to facts and logic revolving around the sport – without making inappropriate statements and laughing at tasteless remarks. That is possible, of course, if they realise why history must not repeat itself.
The writer, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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