What The Nation Expects From Their National Idols & Can They Deliver?Friends of Israel: An account on X, formerly twitter posted an image of Shahid Afridi posing with them as they conducted a vigil for release of Israeli hostages from Hamas. What happened next on Pakistani X/Twitter is anybody’s guess. But that’s not what this article is about. If you want to join the debate, head on to twitter (find yourself a VPN), or stick with the debate after. Scroll down for more!
I have said this earlier and I’ll say it again, it’s hard being a celebrity in Pakistan. It’s even harder being a cricket fan though. From being embarrassed and lowkey horrified at the Pakistani Cricket Team’s recent performance at the World Cup, to seriously troubled by morbid thoughts contemplating their team’s future, Pakistani cricket fans have had it rough. One saving grace is the triumphs of the past, which Pakistanis love to relive, especially since the present doesn’t offer too many mood lifting moments.
Show me a Pakistani cricket fan who wasn’t depressed by the recent world cub debacle and I’ll show you a fan who has not watched the 1992 Pakistan Cricket World Cup victory on repeat. Yeah, they both don’t exist, I kid you not.
But this article is about the life choices of Pakistani celebrities outside the realm of their professional duties. After the Friends of Israel posted the above image, showing Pakistani cricketing legend Shahid Afridi endorsing their demands, all hell had to break loose, and why not. From fans (including Afridi himself) alleging that Shahid Afridi poses for a million photographs with fans on the streets, how is he to know how they will be used, to those who have instantly condemned him for either his ignorance or his purposely posed selfie (no mistake that, say some), to those hatching conspiracy theories about Afridi having a hidden agenda and why he did not come clean in his retort tweet to outrightly condemn Israel and the genocide.
Was his tweet lukewarm? Question some. Here’s his response, for everyone to tear apart at their discretion:
“Imagine strolling down a street in Manchester (UK) and so-called fans approach you for a selfie. You oblige, and moments later, they upload it as some form of Zionist endorsement. Unbelievable! Please don’t believe everything that is uploaded. Seeing innocent lives in Palestine suffer is truly heartbreaking. Thus, any photo or association shared by in Manchester does not reflect my support for any situation where human lives are at stake. I take pictures with fans from all over the globe, and this situation was no different. I pray for peace, I pray for an end to this war, I pray for freedom. #HumanityFirst #PeaceMiddleEast” – Shahid Afridi on X
No relevant hashtags, pointed out some, no outright condemnation of Israeli policies, pointed out others, a half-baked response by a man who is known for his passionate verbosity? Saying too little is not a problem Afridi suffers from, so what happened here?
In response, the FOI have comeback with an even more definitive tweet, showing that there is no ambiguity to what Afridi did and his intentions are as clear as day.
When Shahid Afridi approached US he was wearing a mask.
We had NO idea who he was. We repeat. HE APPROACHED US.
He started talking to one of our group who was handing out leaflets.
HE took off his mask and HE asked for pictures by walking to the main group to have them taken.
Can Shahid Afridi read English? He can.
Did he see see we were standing there with huge placards for Israel hostages? Yes he did.
Did he agree to a selfie with us with hostage leaflets in front of his face? YES
This video shows how our group was set up. You CANNOT miss the posters.
Shahid Afridi KNEW what he was doing and offered his support WILLING
You might not like it but it’s true. Deal with it!
Shahid Afridi has not posted a subsequent response but it is imperative to point out that the verdict has been given by netizens. Cancel Afridi for turning against his own, siding with the enemy or playing a double game.
This brings me to my earlier observation of being a celebrity in Pakistan. Do they have more responsibility than others? Are they subject to more trolling than the average celebrity?
Not in this case, no.
The rage is real
Celebrities all over the word have faced Blockout Lists and been called out for not using their platforms to shed light on the human rights situation in Gaza. And, correct me if I’m wrong, Shahid Afridi is not your average celebrity. He is outspoken, seems to be heading for a political career, has done and is presently involved in carrying out social work through the Shahid Afridi Foundation for the benefit of his fellow Pakistanis. Shahid Afridi has spoken out on political matters, not even shying away from topics like Kashmir, a forever flashpoint between India and Pakistani, so what’s stopping him from clearing his position with, not a grey, neutral sounding tweet “Humanity First”, but a clearly worded black and white version of events? His version.
A stroll down a street in Manchester just doesn’t cut it
FOI have close to 11K followers on their X Feed, and Shahid Afridi has close to 2 million. Do his words hide more than they say? What is he not saying and why? There are two different versions of the same post and fans are rightly demanding what the real version is?
If Shahid Afridi was a celebrity who kept to playing his cricket, and limited his social media and public presence to the game alone, one would say, it’s okay to let him be. He clearly misread the situation. But Shahid Afridi is not that guy. Hence, the vitriol from fans, though acerbic (and what else would you expect from a fandom that raises you to the sky one moment, till you come crashing down to earth the next), might have its roots in the right place.
They want answers.
If I were Shahid Afridi, I’d feel the need to explain myself. If I’m not aware of who I’m posing with for a selfie, maybe now’s the time to change things, going forward. I am a public figure whom my followers look to for an opinion, and I need to keep myself informed and I also need to apologize to my fans, whom I might have let down, when I’m wrong. That’s how responsible influencers behave. Waiting for the noise to die down is one way, but that’s not Afridi style, that’s not what he does, so why the silence now?
Dear Afridi, you did not earn your fandom on silence, hitting those sixes was just one of the many reasons you have amassed nearly 2 million followers on X. Show us the others. Your fans are waiting.
And on being a celebrity in Pakistan? Yeah, that one’s tough, but it comes with the job. So get on with it! If you’re in hot waters with a lukewarm tweet on X, you have but yourself to blame…
Tell us if you have something to add to the story. This is a developing story. We will post updates as the story unfolds.
