A huge issue was created out of one word, says Sarfraz Ahmed
Sarfraz Ahmed has claimed that the whole issue between him and South African all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo was blown out of proportion based on the usage of the word ‘kaale’. Ahmed was handed a four-match ban by the ICC for the comments that he made in the second ODI against the home team.
Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed invited some unwanted attention from the local media in South Africa after his alleged racist comments were caught on mic-stump during the second ODI in Durban. Ahmed was caught passing rather inconsiderate comments towards Andile Phehlukwayo who was at the crease.
However, Ahmed claimed that the media personnel turned that small word into a big issue, something that wasn’t required. Addressing the press for the first time since returning to Pakistan after the ICC imposed a four-match ban on him, Sarfaraz claimed that Phehlukwayo had not considered his remarks racist but was rather more offended by the comment passed towards his mother.
"When I went to say sorry to Andile for using the word [kaale, meaning 'black'], he was more offended by my reference to his mother, saying I had used inappropriate language about her. In the media, the word 'black' was highlighted to suggest that I had said a racist thing, but I explained the context to him," Sarfaraz said in Karachi, reported Cricinfo.
"I'm sitting here as Pakistan captain - and for that matter any player playing for Pakistan - thanks to the prayers of their mothers. So I explained I used the world black, which I
The Pakistan middle-order batsman was earlier caught on the stump mic talking to Phehlukwayo in Urdu saying, "Abey kaale, teri ammi aaj kahaan baitheen hain? Kya padhwa ke aaye hai aaj?" Literally translated, that means: "Hey, black guy, where's your mother sitting today? What have you got her to say for you today?"
However, Ahmed added that event South African team manager Mohammed Moosajee also agreed that the word ‘kaale’ was not a racist attack.
"Then we gave him an example from our Islamic tradition, and their team manager Moosajee [also a Muslim] agreed with what I was saying. So the whole controversy was created by the word, and if people had looked at the context, there was nothing in it. It was just that word, and as you know in our society, it sometimes gets inadvertently used. So yes, I made a mistake, and that was that.
"I just want to make it clear that a huge issue was created out of one word. I never wanted to say something racist to him or taunt him in that way," Ahmed added.
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