"Everyone has the right to express" - Shaheen Afridi defends Haris Rauf's objectionable gestures

Last Sunday's Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 match between India and Pakistan proved to be more than just a cricket match between bat and ball. Numerous fans and commentators criticised the Pakistani combination of Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their immature actions, which sparked a lot of social media reactions.

To show support for the victims of the Pakistan-sponsored Pahalgam terror assault, Indian players in the first match, played on September 14, declined to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts after the match. Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf, two Pakistani players, made offensive gestures against Indian supporters during the Super Four stage's second match last Sunday, sparking significant indignation.

"Look, our job is to play cricket. Honestly, everyone has the right to express the way they want to. Everyone has their own respect. Everyone thinks the way they think. But our job is to play cricket. And we have come to win the tri-nation Series. We have come to win the Asia Cup. And we, God willing, as a team, are doing our best," said Shaheen Afridi in the press conference.

Afiridi was also questioned over the team's overall aggression. Rauf and others joined him later, but he was the first to sledge Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma. The pacer, however, disputed that it wasn’t a definite plan.

"There is no specific plan to be aggressive; we have always been aggressive, from the time we started playing. This is how cricket is played and the team morale is kept high," he said.

Fans and commentators responded to these instances, with many calling them offensive given the tense political relations. India had then launched “Operation Sindoor” in response to attacks in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives.

Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, acknowledged the gestures but commended the Indian players for not reciprocating. “The camp is well aware of these gestures, but we are proud that our players did not reciprocate with equally offensive actions,” he stated.

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