Keralities Give Me Lot Of Love: Pak Cricketer Shahid Afridi At Malayali Community Event; Netizens Slam

The Indian Malayali community in Dubai has come under attack for warmly welcoming Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at an event in Dubai.

While full details of the event are yet to be revealed, the video of Afridi sharing the stage with the Malayalis has triggered a lot of criticism.

Speaking at the event, he said, "No more boom boom... old boom boom," The ex-Pakistan cricketer then claimed, "I have come here because wherever I go, Keralities give me a lot of love. From the bottom of my heart, I respect them a lot."

Afridi further states that Keralities give him lot of love and respect and he also loves Kerala food. "We are players on the ground and outside the ground we all are human beings," he concluded.

As the clip went viral, netizens came down heavily on the Kerala community. However, Oneindia cannot independently verify the authenticity of the video.

Why There Is An Outrage

The former Pakistan cricket captain had criticised India after India launched Operation Sindoor, last month, to avenge the deaths of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22.

As per a report in RSS mouthpiece Organiser, the Cochin University B.Tech Alumni Association (CUBAA) had organised the event titled "Memory Steps 2025" on May 25 at the Pakistan Association in Dubai. Apart from Afridi, another cricketer, Umar Gul also attended the event.

Netizens Reaction

"What a shame!! - Desperate Keralites welcome this Anti-India Paki with 'Boom Boom' at an event in Dubai, especially after Pahalgam terror attack and his venomous stand against India," a user said on X while responding to a viral video of Afridi.

Another user commented, "Kyuuu huaa aisaa. Sabse phle to Kerala ki government se punchanaa chahiye... Why? In jahiloooo ko bulane ki kya jarurat hai..."

The third netizen said, "It's painful to see the memory of Pahalgam blurred by applause for someone who stood against our nation. Patriotism isn't a trend-it's a responsibility we owe to those we've lost."

The fourth user commented, "The enthusiasm for Afridi, even after his venomous statements against India, reflects a disturbing lack of self-respect. It's a sad commentary on the state of patriotism among the 100% literate people."

Another stated, "Not a single man in that video would be alive today had they been at Pahalgam on 22nd April. Their cheering women would be mourning a son, brother, or husband today. And the man they're clapping for? He defends the very state that celebrates those deaths, calls them false flags, and has no shame in backing a rogue terror regime. In fact, he's rewarded precisely for doing that. He won't even think for once, for those people who are clapping today if they're killed in some terror attack tomorrow. That's how evil Afridi is. :) What a shame honestly."

What Afridi Had Said?

Following the Pahalgam attack, Shahid Afridi had slammed the Indian Army and said in an interview: "Patakha phat jaata hai wahaa par, Pakistan ne kiya. Tum logo ki 8 lakh ki fauj hai Kashmir mein aur ye ho gaya. Iska matlab nalayak ho, nikamme ho na tum log ki security nahi de sake logo ko (Even if a cracker bursts in India, they blame it on Pakistan. You have an 8 lakh-strong army in Kashmir, yet this happened. This means you are useless, not being able to provide security to people),"

"Hairat hoti hai ki hamle k ek ghante k baad hi unka media Bollywood ban gaya. Khuda k liye har kuch ko Bollywood mat banao. Main hairaan ho gaya, balki main enjoy kar raha thha jis tarah ki wo baatein kar rahe the (It's surprising that within an hour of the attack, their media turned into Bollywood. For God's sake, don't make everything Bollywood. I was astonished I was enjoying the way they were talking)," the Pakistan cricketer had claimed.

"Main keh raha thha dekho inki soch, ye apne aap ko padhe likhe log kehte hai. Do cricketers jo India se itni cricket khele hue hai. Ambassadors reh chuke hai, top cricketers reh chuke hai unki taraf se direct Pakistan (I was saying, look at their thinking, and they call themselves educated. Two cricketers have played so much cricket for India. They have been ambassadors and top cricketers, yet they directly blame Pakistan)," Afridi explained.