Pakistan cricket superstar Shahid Afridi. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
The big-hitting 34-year-old came under fire this week after footage of a TV interview circulated of him commenting on women's cooking skills in response to a question about women's cricket.
Afridi insisted his remarks had been taken out of context by people who wanted to bring him down after his recent heroics in the Asia Cup.
Earlier this month Afridi hit last-over sixes to help Pakistan beat arch-rivals India by one wicket and then smashed a 25-ball 59 to help chase down a 327-run target against hosts Bangladesh. The performances helped him redeem his flagging reputation.
"I am shocked to listen all the stuff and read some on the social media," Afridi told AFP.
"It was a five-month old interview and my half answer was put on the net, which I feel is an attempt to malign my popularity."
Afridi, who originally hails from the deeply conservative tribal areas along the Afghan border, said he had always backed the women's game.
"I have been a big supporter of women's cricket and if you ask our women players they will let you know how I tried to get sponsorship for them," he said.
"There are a few people who are jealous of my popularity and they try to find something controversial against me.
"A big number of my fans are female and I have always respected them and tried to accomodate them whenever they want support."
In the footage, taken from an interview in October last year, Afridi is asked whether he thinks Pakistani women should play cricket.
"Our women have great taste in their hands and they cook very tasty food," he replied.
Women cricketers back Afridi
Former international women's player Kainat Imtiaz gave the star her backing.
"He (Afridi) has always been a great supporter of women's cricket and whenever we used to cross paths in the national academy in Lahore he helped us and encouraged us," she said.
But once the clips of the interview went viral on social media, there were strong reactions from women's organisations and analysts, condemning Afridi for relegating women to the kitchen.
Activist Mehnaz Rehman said the remarks represented a typical attitude in Pakistan, which remains a patriarchal and at times misogynist country.
"It will take years to change our men. Men display and get their abilities recognised at all levels but when women do this they discourage them," said Rehman, regional director of Aurat Foundation.
"It will stop women's progress and a celebrity like Afridi should not give such remarks."
COMMENTS (25)
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Leave it to feminists to blow anything and everything out of proportion!
this is not the first time this has happened. i think afridi should avoid commenting anything else. i understand he is not very educated, so he should avoid giving media statements, one has to be careful about what u speak in front of camera, simply cuz it leads to interpretations. mr afridi you do not have the skills, nor the sense , so instead of ending up in such awkward moments, i suggest you avoid media, its not like sportsmen don't do that. sachin tendulkar never had such issues, simply cuz he avoids press interactions, while doing enough advertisements to qualify as a tv celeb
Afridi is a cricketer not a reformer, leading opinion maker, my dear desi intelec-chawals
@imran bhatt: It was stupid of Afridi to give that reply, which directly proves his unchanged mentality. Moreover, he should be thankful to Kainat Imtiaz for her support. Kainat!!! did Afridi say 'thank you?'
Remember the golden rule, "Once a paindoo, always a paindoo." Salams
When India loses, the trolls go in hiding, when such a non issue comes out all these trolls come out of their hibernation & hit at Afridi, lol. Point to ponder - why he was targeted only after he won 2 matches for us & not last year when this Interview was aired, it took few months to realise he said something, really? P.S Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, no need to cry over it & make a ruckus.
I see women cricketers voicing their support for him and how he encouraged them. i'd rather listen to them, since his comments were 'aimed' at them than some selfrighteous pseudo-feminist who took one sentence and blew it out of proportion and made it sound like Mr. Afridi was against women.
the rest of your opinions are pointless when the people Afridi 'maligned' are out to support and back him
How come news about Afridi is more important than the blast in Peshawar. Afridi is one of the lead story while Peshawar blast is pushed into "More News." I think we need to get our priorities right.
Afridi should know that he lacks intellect which is balanced with his above average performance in sport; there fore he should avoid putting his foot in the mouth.
rex Minor
@Imran: "All the great chefs in Pakistan are men" The point is that in almost all jobs there are more men than women so men are more likely to rise to the top. (this is disregarding any sort of sexism/favouritism that exists in a work environment). A single working woman is a very new and alien concept in Pakistan in particular. In normal circumstances a married woman with children has certain responsibilities that a mother can only undertake. Some women embrace it and sacrifice their careers raising childen or make the choice themselves and some try to balance it out with work which at times results in negligence in the parenthood duties (this is from both parents who are working actually). Eitherway there have been plenty of women that have made it to the top in all their fields. We live in a society dominated by males and see how far its got us. Not that just letting women take all the decisions will solve everything. As long as mericritocracy is the deciding factor and not some sort of nepotism or favoritism that has polluted the system as it has.
Yes Afridi everything is a conspiracy against you and your media buddies just like chewing the ball was a conspiracy against you. Afridi is a drama queen.
Two sixes from Lala brought the biggest democracy of world to its knees. He had to be bashed by our liberals. P.S: ET allow my comment
He was asked about women cricket team and he replied he liked women in kitchen. Now I ask you, how could it was out of context?
Pakistani males are not women-haters, which means they are not misogynists. Whether they play a traditional role or not, most men love most women, regardless.
lala daar gaya :), and again he backed off of his statement. :),
before defending lala please go and see complete interview on the following link.
http://www.zemtv.com/2013/10/28/exclusive-interview-of-shahid-afridi-27-oct-2013-on-ary-news/
Thanks