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Ex-Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has disclosed details about a heated conversation with former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh following the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 match on Saturday (June 6). Akmal revealed that he apologized to Harbhajan for his remarks made a month ago, emphasizing that he never intended to offend anyone.
The dialogue between the two cricketers took place a month after a contentious exchange on social media.
Akmal had made racially insensitive comments about Arshdeep Singh’s religion, prompting a strong response from Harbhajan, who urged Akmal to educate himself on Sikh history before making such remarks. Akmal responded with an apology to Harbhajan and the Sikh community. He reiterated that his comments were never meant to hurt anyone’s religious sentiments.
“I made a mistake, and that was the only topic being discussed. It was never my intention, and I can never think negatively about anyone’s religion. I have made that clear. It should be done because I am younger, they are seniors and a great off-spinner in Indian and world cricket,” Kamran was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Also READ: ‘My words were inappropriate and disrespectful’: Kamran Akmal apologize to Harbhajan Singh and the Sikh community
Babar Azam discussion
During their conversation in Birmingham, Akmal also brought up the criticism faced by Pakistan captain Babar Azam from fans and pundits. Harbhajan had previously struggled to contain his laughter during a discussion comparing Babar with the legendary Brian Lara.
Akmal asserted that despite the class difference between Lara and Babar, mocking fellow cricketers is inappropriate. He conveyed this sentiment to Harbhajan, who agreed that such situations should not have occurred from either side. Akmal stressed the importance of respecting each player’s unique talents and contributions to the game.
“Then we talked, and you might have seen Babar being mocked. No doubt, Babar is also a great batsman in Pakistan cricket; he has scored the most hundreds for Pakistan. No doubt, Brian Lara and Babar’s class don’t match, and they shouldn’t be compared. But as cricketers, we shouldn’t mock anyone. So I talked about it, and he (Harbhajan) also agreed that it shouldn’t have happened from his side either,” Kamran concluded.
