Irfan Pathan reveals fake Babar Azam story run to defame him, speaks on trolls
Mumbai, August 7
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan opened up on facing trolling and fake news, saying that once a fake story about Pakistani batter Babar Azam refusing him was run in Pakistan. The former all-rounder said that he does not respond to anything, since doing that with everyone would not let an individual live his life.
Pathan was speaking on JioHotstar's 'Cheeky Singles'.
Speaking during the programme, Pathan said that instances of "trolling and fake attribution" happen every day, and once a story about Babar refusing him an interview was run, by photoshopping his face on someone else's picture.
"The trolling and fake attribution happen every day. The media in our neighbouring country once ran a story claiming that I had gone to interview Babar Azam, and that he refused because, according to him, 'He trolls our country, so I won't give him an interview.' It was a complete lie. Someone had photoshopped my face onto a picture," he said.
"The person in the original image was a young Bangladeshi reporter who had gone to the ground for the first time and was refused an interview. They literally put my face on his body and spread the story. It got over a million views, and people believed it was me. This happens every day, but I don't respond. Every day, some lie is told in our name or about some player. If you keep responding to everyone, you won't be able to live your life," he added.
In his playing career from 2003-12, Pathan scored 2,821 runs at an average of 26.12 in 141 innings, with a century and 11 fifties and a best score of 102. With 301 wickets at an average of 29.85, nine five-wicket hauls and two ten-fers, he was one of the finest all-rounders of his time, but saw his career get affected by injuries a lot.
He has also represented Punjab Kings (PBKS), Delhi Capitals (DC), Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG) and Gujarat Lions (GL) in the IPL, taking 80 wickets in 103 matches and scoring 1,139 runs in 82 innings at an average of 21.49, with a fifty.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's sad that even former players aren't spared from this toxic environment. Irfan was one of India's finest all-rounders, and the way he's been targeted is just unfair. The media across the border needs to fact-check before publishing rubbish.
Typical Pakistan media behavior! They can't digest that Irfan Pathan is respected globally. Photoshopping someone's face to create fake stories is the lowest level of journalism. Glad Irfan bhai didn't let it affect him. 👍
As someone who follows cricket from the US, this is really disappointing. Irfan Pathan deserves better. The man gave his everything for Indian cricket, and to see him dragged into baseless controversies is heartbreaking. Stay strong, champ!
Honestly, I'm not surprised. Social media has become a cesspool of misinformation. Irfan's approach of ignoring trolls is the best way forward. But I do wish more people would call out these fake stories instead of just moving on. At some point, this has to stop. 🤷♀️
Irfan Pathan talking sense as always. It's better to ignore these things than to constantly engage with negativity. However, I also feel that authorities should take stricter action against such fake news creators. It's not just about one person; it's about the integrity of journalism.
Great perspective from Irfan. Trolls and fake news are everywhere, not just in cricket. His advice to not respond to everyone is spot on. We all need to learn to pick our battles. Respect from Canada! 🇨🇦
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