A Kerala expatriate group in Dubai has issued an apology after facing strong online backlash for warmly welcoming Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at a recent event. Apologising for it, the community clarified that the gesture was unintentional.
The incident came to light when a video showing Shahid Afridi being welcomed during a programme by the Cochin University Btech Alumni Association (CUBAA) in Dubai went viral on social media.
In the video, the crowd is seen cheering Shahid Afridi and chanting his nickname “boom boom” when he addressed the gathering. In his brief address, the cricketer was seen praising Kerala and its cuisines.
In the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives and heightened tensions between the two countries, the warm reception given to the Pakistani cricketer has drawn sharp criticism and did not sit well with many. The social media users attacked the CUBAA office-bearers, citing the Pakistan cricketer’s recent controversial remarks against India and its Army in connection with the Pahalgam terror attack.
Amid the growing controversy, CUBAA office-bearers issued an apology on Instagram on Friday, stating that the incident was unintentional and expressing regret over the uproar it caused.
Without naming Shahid Afridi, they said they had booked Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) as a venue of the second season of an inter-collegiate dance competition much before the tension between India and Pakistan. The same venue was used for the first season of the event last year also due to its affordability, the statement said.
“At the time of our event, the diplomatic tensions had already eased. Due to the unavailability of an alternative venue on short notice, we proceeded with the programme as scheduled at PAD Dubai,” they said.
They clarified that Shahid Afridi, along with a few other cricketers, visited the auditorium for a separate event held on the same day as their programme, May 25. As the Kerala community’s programme was concluding, these cricketers made an “unannounced and unsolicited appearance” at their event, which was held in the same auditorium, they further said.
“We would like to categorically state that no member of our organising team, officials or alumni members invited them nor coordinated this appearance. Our officially published event schedule, which does not include these individuals as guests, further supports this,” the organisers said.
“We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused to attendees, participants, or supporters due to this unplanned development. We deeply regret any hurt or offense our actions may have caused. It was never our intention, and we sincerely apologise to those affected,” they said.
