"Didn't mean disrespect": Yousuf defends derogatory remarks on Suryakumar after facing backlash

New Delhi [India], September 16 (ANI): Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf, who was offered no clemency for his derogatory remarks on Suryakumar Yadav, explained that he didn't mean disrespect to the India T20I captain. However, he took a jibe at the Indian media for praising former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan for his "barking like a dog" about Shahid Afridi, trying to ignite a sense of hypocrisy.
The ties between the two neighbouring nations have hit a new low after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, during which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 tourists. Despite the backlash and calls for a boycott of the India-Pakistan fixture at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday, the game went ahead and has been surrounded by controversy.
After India outwitted Pakistan and relished a 7-wicket win, Suryakumar and his players sent a strong message by refusing to follow the old tradition of shaking hands with the opposition. In reply, Pakistan pulled out of the post-match presentation.
During a panel discussion on Samaa TV, Yousuf weighed in on the entire incident and launched an offensive remark on Suryakumar. While repeatedly calling the Indian T20I skipper "Suarkumar", he accused India of "using" umpires according to their will.
"India cannot escape their filmy world. Their captain, Suarkumar Yadav," Yousuf said during the live session in Samaa TV, prompting the anchor to correct him, "It's Suryakumar Yadav." Yousuf continued, "Yeah, that's what I said, Suarkumar Yadav."
"Yeah, that's what I said. Suarkumar Yadav," Yousuf continued, to which the anchor replied, "No, his name is Suryakumar Yadav."
After his remarks went viral on Tuesday morning, he was heavily trolled and lampooned by India fans and former cricketers. On the evening of the same day, Yousuf took to X to clear his stance, but launched an attack on the Indian media for the amount of criticism he received. He even invoked the example of Pathan's statement about former Pakistan skipper Afridi while reminiscing about an incident during an interview.
"I didn't mean any disrespect to any sportsman who plays for his country with passion and grace, but why were the Indian media and people praising Irfan Pathan when he said that Shahid Khan Afridi was barking like a dog? Shouldn't that have been rejected by everyone who talks about dignity and respect?" Yousuf wrote on X.
Among the cricketers to react, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Madan Lal didn't mince his words during his scathing tirade. He feels the recent comments of the former Pakistan batter are nothing but an attempt to attract publicity. He declared that the insensitive comments reflect the level of education that Yousuf possesses.
"Look, you must have seen the former Pakistani cricketers, how much they criticise their team. You can see the frustration. They have started abusing the other team's players. This shows how educated they are. Abusing anyone is not a good thing. I think we are unnecessarily giving them publicity. This is what they want: publicity. All the YouTubers talk about India and make their hits. This is their moral principle. The more bitter we speak about India, the more they will benefit," Madan Lal told ANI.
Apart from his remarks on Suryakumar, Yousuf accused India of "using" umpires according to their will. The 74-year-old declared that Yousuf's remarks about the umpires are vague, considering modern-day DRS technology can flag out the issues. The review cleared the remaining ambiguity, and it resonated in a couple of on-field decisions that were reversed during the rivalry clash.
"It is very easy for the umpires. The DRS system is running. Even if someone is out, he can refer to the third umpire. He has been doing it. One or two of his decisions have gone wrong. They have been referred, and he has been given a not out. Then why should anyone complain? Nowadays, no one should complain because it is technology. They use technology, and everything comes out. But you should also understand which DRS you should take and which you should not take," he said.
The handshake row escalated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of violating the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC laws relating to the spirit of cricket. Pakistan has also threatened to pull out of the tournament if a decision doesn't arrive in their favour.
Amid the escalating situation, Pakistan have cancelled their pre-match press conference before the match day against the UAE in Dubai on Wednesday. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) confirmed the development on Tuesday evening.
Despite cancelling the press conference, Pakistan will hold its practice session. Pakistan's decision is directly linked to its unhappiness with the ICC match referee Andy Pycroft, whom the PCB demanded be removed. (ANI)