Former Pakistan Cricketer Kamran Akmal Apologizes to Harbhajan Singh and Sikh Community for Racist Remark.

Once a prominent figure in Indian cricket, Harbhajan Singh swiftly responded to a racist remark from ex-Pakistani cricketer Kamran Akmal directed towards current Indian cricketer Arshdeep Singh during the intense T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Pakistan in New York. Akmal’s derogatory ‘Sikh’ joke aimed at Arshdeep quickly spread across social media platforms. Upon noticing the video, Harbhajan took to social media himself, condemning Akmal’s behavior and providing him with a lesson in history. Akmal eventually issued an apology for his actions.

In a video reposted by Harbhajan, Akmal was part of a panel on ARY News. During the show, he made a controversial remark about Arshdeep’s religion and stated, “Kuch bhi ho sakta hai… 12 baj gaye hai (Anything can happen. It is already 12).”

Harbhajan was deeply offended by Kamran’s comments about Arshdeep and publicly criticized Kamran for his insensitive remarks on X, “Lakh di laanat tere Kamraan Akhmal.. You should know the history of Sikhs before you open your filthy mouth. We Sikhs saved your mothers and sisters when they were abducted by invaders, the time invariably was 12 o’clock . Shame on you…Have some Gratitude.”

Akmal publicly apologized to Harbhajan and the Sikh community, expressing profound regret for his insensitive comment. “I deeply regret my recent comments and sincerely apologize to @harbhajan_singh and the Sikh community. My words were inappropriate and disrespectful. I have the utmost respect for Sikhs all over the world and never intended to hurt anyone. I am truly sorry.”

In the match, Pakistan won the toss and elected to field first. Unfortunately, the Indian batsmen struggled on the challenging pitch, with star openers Virat Kohli (4) and Rohit Sharma (13) failing to make significant contributions. However, Rishabh Pant’s impressive innings of 42 runs off 31 balls, including six boundaries, stood out amidst the difficulties.

Pant formed valuable partnerships with Axar Patel (20 runs off 18 balls, including two fours and a six) and Suryakumar Yadav (seven runs off eight balls, with a boundary). Nonetheless, the lower middle order struggled to cope with the demands of scoring runs on the challenging pitch, leading India to only manage a total of 119 runs in 19 overs.

Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were the standout bowlers for Pakistan, each claiming three wickets for 21 runs. Mohammed Amir also contributed with two dismissals, while Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with one wicket.

During the chase, Pakistan opted for a more cautious approach, with Mohammed Rizwan anchoring the innings with 31 runs off 44 balls, including a boundary and a six. However, Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) picked up crucial wickets, including those of skipper Babar Azam (13), Fakhar Zaman (13), Shadab Khan (4), and Iftikhar Ahmed (5), maintaining pressure on Pakistan. With 18 runs required off the final over, Naseem Shah (10*) attempted to seal the victory for Pakistan, but Arshdeep Singh (1/31) ensured that Pakistan fell short by six runs.

Bumrah was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his decisive bowling performance.

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