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Tag: Shoaib Akhtar

  • ‘I referred to those running international cricket’: Shoaib Akhtar clarifies ‘incompetent and ignorant’ comment

    ‘I referred to those running international cricket’: Shoaib Akhtar clarifies ‘incompetent and ignorant’ comment

    Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has clarified that the words he said on an Indian TV channel, apparently targeting Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, were taken out of context, adding that Indian television misrepresented what he actually said.

    Akhtar had come under scrutiny after comments he made on an Indian TV channel following Pakistan’s 61-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday, where he used the words “incompetent” and “ignorant” while questioing the people in positions of power.

    But Akhtar on Monday sought to set the record straight. “The terms I used, like ‘incompetent’ and ‘ignorant’, did not mean I was targeting Mohsin bhai. My reference was to those running international cricket. Indian TV presented it in the wrong way,” he said.

    He also pointed to something he said in the same programme that went largely unnoticed. 

    “In that very show, I made it clear that nothing wrong should be said about Mohsin bhai and that I will not tolerate it. Mohsin Naqvi is a good person and he wants to help Pakistan cricket,” Akhtar said.

    The clarification came after his remarks on the Indian channel sparked a wave of reactions. Speaking after the defeat, Akhtar had not held back.

    “Now, one guy doesn’t even know about cricket and he’s the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. How will the team be run now? You’re saying one guy, you’ve made him a superstar, he can’t win a single match. You’ve made him a star who can’t bowl 10 overs,” he said, without naming anyone directly.

    He had also delivered a broader warning. “When you give a big job to an incompetent and ignorant person, he will destroy the country. He will bring down any organisation. The example is in front of you; you’re intelligent enough to understand,” Akhtar said.

    While he named no one, his comments were widely read as a reference to Naqvi and to senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, both of whom drew heavy criticism for their performances against India. 

    Babar scored just five runs before getting out playing an unnecessary shot, while Shaheen conceded 31 runs in two overs.

    The defeat itself was bruising. Seven Pakistan batters failed to reach double figures as the side collapsed for 114 chasing 176, handing India their fourth T20 international victory over Pakistan in the last six months.

  • Rawalpindi Express meets Kabir Singh

    Rawalpindi Express meets Kabir Singh

    Pakistani cricket legend Shoaib Akhtar and Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor stole the spotlight at the International League T20 (ILT20) opening ceremony in the UAE.

    The ceremony, which took place last night, featured performances by Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Sonam Bajwa, and others.

    He shared a video of his interaction with Shahid Kapoor on Instagram, calling it lovely. The video shows them smiling and talking, with Harbhajan Singh also joining in. The trio chatted and laughed together, with Shahid Kapoor patting Harbhajan Singh on the shoulder and shaking hands with Shoaib Akhtar.

     Akhtar captioned the video, “Lovely running into @shahidkapoor at @ilt20official. #allinforcricket #entertheepic #KabirSingh @harbhajan3.” The video has been widely shared on social media.

    Shahid Kapoor performed at the ILT20 opening ceremony with the cast of Deva. He danced to Marji Chaa Maalik and Aala Re Aala Deva Aala. Shahid and Pooja Hegde also performed the hook step of the Bhasad Macha song from Deva.

    In the movie Deva, Shahid Kapoor plays a brilliant but rebellious police officer, while Pooja Hegde stars as a journalist.

  • Sonali Bendre finally talks about rumors of Shoaib Akhtar crush

    Sonali Bendre finally talks about rumors of Shoaib Akhtar crush

    If you thought we have left behind the era of crazy rumors, you are mistaken.

    The rumor that former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar threatened to kidnap Indian actress Sonali Bendre if she didn’t marry him has resurfaced online. During a podcast promoting her latest show, Bendre was reminded of Akhtar’s alleged crush on her. She responded, “I don’t know how true this is. Fake news existed even then!”


    In 2019, Akhtar was reported to have said, “If she [Bendre] doesn’t marry me, I’ll kidnap her!” He later used his YouTube channel to deny the statement, calling it completely false. Bendre, surprised by the rumor, joked, “Thank God for that. Maybe that has made my career!”
    Akhtar also addressed claims in 2019 that he carried a picture of Bendre in his wallet and wanted to marry her. He firmly denied all allegations, saying, “I never met Sonali Bendre. I’ve seen her in films, and she is indeed beautiful, but I’ve not been a fan.”


    He praised Bendre’s bravery in fighting cancer, saying, “I became her fan when she showed how bravely she struggled against her illness. But, my brother, I had nothing to do with her. These are all lies.”

  • Shoaib Akhtar reveals his million-rupees earning strategy

    Shoaib Akhtar reveals his million-rupees earning strategy

    Former national fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar known fondly as Pindi Express has revealed the secret of his success, a recipe to earn billions.

    A video clip of the pacer is going viral on social media in which he can be seen explaining a smart way to earn billions.

    Talking about his business strategy, Akhtar said, “I started buying small plots in different places in Islamabad. People used to criticize me and say why do you always buy these plots, but I knew that there will be modern development in these areas in the coming years.”

    He said, “I advised many people to buy land, but they did not listen to me, now the price of all land is 200 million Pakistani rupees. Now I gave the same advice to Shaheen Shah Afridi that he should buy land in Swabi area.”

    “I give the players a business plan through which they can be financially strong after their careers end,” he said.

    People on social media seem to be impressed with Shoaib Akhtar’s business style and smart way of building properties in big cities, with many praising him in the comments section.

  • Shoaib Akhtar loves the name given to him by YouTuber Shiraz

    Shoaib Akhtar loves the name given to him by YouTuber Shiraz

    Muhammad Shiraz, the rising child social media star from Gilgit Baltistan, has become incredibly popular worldwide with his charming village vlogs.
    The young Pakistani vlogger’s rise to fame has been very fast. He has over one million subscribers on YouTube and many fans love his fun TikTok videos too.
    Recently, Muhammad Shiraz talked about his love for cricket and said Shoaib Akhtar is his favorite cricketer. But, in a cute mistake, he accidentally called the former fast bowler “Shoftar Aftar”, praising his super-fast bowling.

    Fans loved Muhammad Shiraz’s cute mistake and quickly embraced the sweet nickname.
    The video became very popular and even caught the attention of Shoaib Akhtar. He shared it on his Facebook with a kind message, inviting the young vlogger to meet him in Islamabad someday. It was a warm invitation for a future meeting.

  • Shoaib Akhtar has become father to baby girl

    Shoaib Akhtar has become father to baby girl

    Pakistan’s former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has announced the birth of third child and this time it’s a baby girl.

    The Rawalpindi Express shared a photo of his newborn daughter on his social media accounts on March 1. The birth of the little girl follows two sons.

    Sharing a picture with his daughter, Shoaib Akhtar wrote in the caption, “Mikaeel & Mujaddid have a baby sister now. Allah taala has blessed us with a baby daughter. Welcoming Nooreh Ali Akhtar, born during Jumma prayers, 19th of Shaban, 1445 AH. 1st of March, 2024. Aap sab ki duaon ka talab gaar, Shoaib Akhtar.”

    Shoaib Akhtar married Rubab Khan on 11 November 2014.

  • Here are all the celebrities who attended Shaheen Afridi’s valima

    Here are all the celebrities who attended Shaheen Afridi’s valima

    Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi’s valima to Ansha Afridi was held on Thursday in a lavish ceremony in Islamabad, where several A-list celebrities and sports stars were present to celebrate the occasion. Check out some pictures of all the big names who were at the event.

    Former cricket star Shahid Afridi shared several pictures, posing along with members of the cricket team including Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Imam ul Haq, Shadab Khan, and with former pacer Shoaib Akhtar. He thanked his friends for gracing his daughter’s valima with their presence.

    “I would like to Thank Team Pakistan, My former team mates, diplomats and dignitaries from different walk of life for gracing my daughter’s Valima. Their presence made me feel loved and honored. I am grateful that we got to celebrate this moment together.”

    Javelin champion Arshad Nadeem was also among the attendees, smiling along with the groom and the rest of the cricket team.

    Geo reports there the scrumptious menu featured biryani, lamb korma, chicken reshmi kebab, tandoori lamb chops and prawns.

    Shaheen and Ansha’s nikah was held in February at a daytime ceremony. Shaheen shared pictures on his Instagram account, requesting fans to respect the privacy of his wife and the rest of his family members, after a picture of Ansha’s face was leaked on social media.

  • Amidst legal conflicts, teaser for the upcoming Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ released

    Amidst legal conflicts, teaser for the upcoming Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ released

    In an unexpected surprise, the trailer for the Shoaib Akhtar biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’ has been released online, with Mirza Gohar Rasheed replacing Uzair Jaswal to play the legendary cricket star. The film, directed by Muhammad Faraq Qaiser, and written by Qiaser Nawaz, will explore the struggles through which Shoaib Akhtar went from a small town boy to becoming one of the biggest cricket stars Pakistan has ever seen.

    The cast comprises of Faran Tahir, Usman Peerzada, Adnan Shah Tipu, Rahim Pardesi, Hammad Siddique, Baatin Farouqi, Saleem Mairaj, Raheela Agha, Salman Shahid and Shafqat Cheema.

    The film’s production was mired with numerous controversies, as Shoaib Akhtar had announced he had left the pre-production, citing “failure to resolve disagreements amicably and constant contractual violations finally resulted in us cutting ties with them,” as the reason. In his detailed Instagram post, the former cricket legend said he completed all legal protocols and revoked the rights to the story of his life.

    In July, Shoaib shared a screenshot of the legal notice issued against the filmmakers behind ‘Rawalpindi Express’ warning that anyone innvolved in the production would be held responsible by authorities.

    “I have issued a stay order against the filming and release of the supposed biopic being made on my life by a certain group of people. I had to do this because they had threatened in writing of continuing filming regardless of the legal termination of the agreement. Any person involved in the project should know that its completely illegal and they will be responsible for any reputational loss.”

  • Shoaib Akhtar secures stay order against filming, release of biopic 

    Shoaib Akhtar secures stay order against filming, release of biopic 

    Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar took to his Instagram account to announce that he has secured a stay order against the makers of his biopic ‘Rawalpindi Express’. The stay orders will prevent the crew from filming the movie.


    Akhtar warned that any person involved in the production process of the film will be held responsible by authorities:

    “I have issued a stay order against the filming and release of the supposed biopic being made on my life by a certain group of people. I had to do this because they had threatened in writing of continuing filming regardless of the legal termination of the agreement. Any person involved in the project should know that its completely illegal and they will be responsible for any reputational loss.”

    In the legal notice, it was mentioned that anyone associated with the film would be held responsible, and the police will raid any future filming with a court order.

    Previously, Akhtar announced his departure from the film, citing “failure to resolve disagreements amicably and constant contractual violations finally resulted in us cutting ties with them,” after which the former cricketer revealed he completed all legal protocols and revoked the rights to the story of his life.

    Actor Umair Jaswal, who had been selected to portray the cricket star in the project, also announced back in January in an Instagram post that he was stepping away from the film due to “personal and creative reasons”:

    “Due to creative and personal reasons, I have decided to step away from the Shoaib Akhtar biopic project RAWALPINDI EXPRESS. I will no longer be associated with any media or news related to this project.”

  • Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Shoaib Akhtar is not interested in a second marriage

    Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar recently appeared on Hafiz Ahmed’s podcast where he opened up about whether he would get married for a second time.

    The speedster rejected the idea of marrying again, saying that he would remain committed to his wife. The cricketer said that although Islam allows men to marry multiple times, it also encourages men to remain faithful and kind to their wives:

    “You can get married four times, but I believe that once you’re attached to someone, they have left their home for you so you should leave your things for them as well. Be nice to her, kind to her. You should be an inspiring figure to her. You should have a strong character and shouldn’t pressurise her to do anything. I’m always straight forward and honest, I take care of my children and teach them the Quran.”

    The cricketer, who tied the knot with Rubab Khan in 2014, talked about the arranged marriage his parents had set up for him, when they met his wife’s parents during Hajj:

    “My mother had met my wife’s mother during the time they were completing Hajj, and during this visit she had taken a lot of care of my mother. When my parents came back, during that moment my mother introduced me to a girl and told me ‘This is your wife’, and I agreed to marry her.”

    Akhtar said they had a simple nikkah ceremony, which wasn’t open to public, with just a few people from his family and from his wife’s family.

    Akhtar went on to reveal that he is quite different from his conservative wife because of his liberal views, but he has never pressurised her to do anything that she doesn’t want to, including asking her to make media appearances:

    “My family doesn’t like coming on tv. My wife is very conservative, even though I am very liberal, very open minded. I keep asking her to go out and eat something, and she refuses.”

    Akhtar also added that he respects his wife’s preference which is why he doesn’t speak about their personal life during media appearances, to keep supporting her choice to remain a private figure.