Shahid Afridi said that if it was not for Imran Khan, he would never have achieved this position in cricket.
Former national team captain Shahid Afridi has congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on his candidature for the PM’s job and said in an explanatory statement regarding Imran Khan’s criticism that Imran Bhai has always been his idol and I have never criticized him.
In a special video message on his YouTube channel, Shahid Afridi said that for some days now I have been being negatively criticized on social media but I have never criticized Imran Khan but considered him as a leader.
The former cricketer, who has the honor of playing 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20 Internationals, said: “I thank Allah that He created me in a country like Pakistan, first through cricket and now through the Foundation trying to serve the nation.
He said that Imran bhai has always been an ideal for me and I started playing cricket after being inspired by him.
The former all-rounder, popularly known as Boom Boom Afridi, praised Imran Khan’s style of leadership in the 1992 World Cup, saying that a leader has a vision and the team applies his ideology and we would win that World Cup.
He said that as a politician he always praised the good deeds of Imran Khan and will continue to do so.
Shaukat Khanum was a very good initiative and when he came in the government health card was a great initiative.
He said that whoever has a government, he should get five years and his performance should be taken to the people and get votes.
Shahid Afridi said that I have always seen Imran Khan as a leader but I have the right to disagree with his thinking.
However, I would like to point out that differences should not be turned into hatred. “Tolerating differences is a sign of a civilized society. I have expressed my views to you not as a political ideologue but as an ordinary Pakistani and we all have this right,” he said.
The 42-year-old former cricketer admitted that he already knew that congratulating Shahbaz Sharif on becoming the Prime Minister would be criticized but also clarified that there was no political interest behind it.
“Whoever the head of our country is, he is respected by us and he represents our country in the whole world. If we want our country to be honored in the world, we must respect all our rulers,” he said.
It may be recalled that Shahid Afridi had congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on his election as Prime Minister last month and expressed his hope that he would be able to use his best management skills to bring Pakistan out of the current economic and political crisis.
At the same time, without naming former Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said in the next tweet that when the time comes to leave, whether he is right or sad. Leave must be accepted in a dignified manner.
He said that accusations, conspiracies and even defeat are part of the game of power.
Shahid Afridi’s tweets were highly offensive to PTI and Imran Khan’s supporters and they also used vulgar words while criticizing Boom Boom Afridi.