Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh didn’t hold back when former Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal made a racist comment about Indian player Arshdeep Singh. During a tense T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Pakistan in New York, Akmal made a derogatory ‘Sikh’ joke about Arshdeep. The incident quickly went viral on social media.
Harbhajan, upon seeing the video, responded sharply on social media, criticizing Akmal and giving him a history lesson on Sikhism.
Akmal eventually apologized for his comment. In a video shared by Harbhajan, Akmal was seen on a panel on ARY News. During the discussion, Akmal made an inappropriate remark about Arshdeep’s religion, saying, “Kuch bhi ho sakta hai… 12 baj gaye hai (Anything can happen. It is already 12).”
His remarks didn’t sit well with Harbhajan and he lambasted Kamran for his remarks over Arshdeep and wrote on X, “Lakh di laanat tere Kamraan Akhmal.. You should know the history of Sikhs before you open your filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved your mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock . Shame on you…Have some Gratitude.”
Absolutely disgusting, hateful and deplorable statements by Pakistani specialists including former Pak cricketer Kamran Akmal covering #INDVPAK match against Indian player Arshdeep Singh because he is Sikh. pic.twitter.com/1GFrIsImWT
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) June 10, 2024
Akmal issued an apology to Harbhajan and the Sikh community, saying he deeply regrets the comment made. “I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry.”
I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry. #Respect #Apology
— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) June 10, 2024
India’s Struggle With The Bat And Pakistan’s Measured Chase
Pakistan won the coin toss and elected to field first, putting India in to bat. However, India struggled to build momentum on a challenging pitch, with key batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failing to make significant scores. Rishabh Pant stood out with a quickfire 42 off 31 balls, but the rest of the Indian batting lineup struggled, resulting in a total of only 119 runs in 19 overs.
Pakistan’s bowlers, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah, were particularly effective, taking three wickets each. Mohammed Amir claimed two wickets and Shaheen Shah Afridi took one.
In their chase, Pakistan opted for a steady approach, with Mohammed Rizwan anchoring the innings with 31 runs off 44 balls. However, Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya made crucial breakthroughs, dismissing key Pakistani batsmen including Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Shadab Khan.
With 18 runs needed from the final over, Naseem Shah tried to steer Pakistan to victory, but Arshdeep Singh’s bowling ensured Pakistan fell short by six runs. Jasprit Bumrah was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his outstanding bowling performance.
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