After a tu tu mein mein with cricket commentator, Dr Nauman Niaz, Pakistan’s firebrand fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar walked out of a live cricket show on state-owned television channel PTV Sports.
According to various footage that circulated on social media, the brawl started when Shoaib Akhtar referenced the Lahore Qalandars’ player development program to compliment Haris Rauf, the man of the match in Pakistan’s victory over New Zealand.
After dismissing Akhtar, the host exclaimed that Shaheen Shah Afridi was a prodigy of U19 cricket. To this, Rawalpindi Express responded by stating that he had referred to Haris Rauf.
After a heated exchange of words, Niaz snubbed Akhtar saying that he was trying to be too smart and that he should quit the show.
Seconds after that, the show went on to a commercial break.
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Akhtar was still on the set once the show resumed, although he appeared to be uncomfortable. Both attempted to downplay the incident by claiming it was pre-planned and that they were attempting to pull each other’s legs, but to no avail.
Following a huge brouhaha on social media, Shoaib Akhtar released a statement saying that Nauman Niaz was extremely rude to him, so that was his only option to pacify the situation, considering that he was sitting along with the cricketing legends of the world.
“I tried to save everyone from embarrassment by saying I was pulling Dr Noman’s leg with this mutual understanding that he will also politely apologise and we will move on with the show, which he refused to do. Then I had no other choice,” he added.
Once the clip went viral, social media users came to the legendary bowler’s defense.
Some of them even asked the host to apologize to the cricketer.