'Kon sa nasha...': Harbhajan Singh fumes over Inzamam-ul-Haq's 'conversion' claim
In an old video that resurfaced on Tuesday, Inzamam-ul-Haq claimed that Harbhajan Singh was inspired by the teachings of Maulana Tariq Jameel, known for reading Namaz with the Pakistan cricket team.
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FollowFormer Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh expressed his displeasure with former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq on social media hours after an old video where the latter suggested that veteran spinner was considering a switch from Sikhism to Islam went viral on X. In response to the viral video, a fuming Harbhajan said, "Yeh kon sa nasha pee kar baat kar raha hai? I am a proud Indian and proud Sikh..yeh Bakwaas log kuch bi bakte hai."
On Tuesday, an old video of Inzamam claiming how Harbhajan Singh was inspired by the teachings of Maulana Tariq Jameel, who used to read Namaz with the Pakistan cricket team, went viral sparking a massive social media outrage.
"We had kept a room where we offered our Namaz. After the Namaz, Maulana Tariq Jameel used to speak to us for sometime. During that time, we invited Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Kaif and Zaheer Khan to come pray along with the rest of the Pakistan team. A few other players also used to join us. They did not offer Namaz, but they used to sit and listen to what Maulana Tariq Jameet would have to say," the ex-chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board said.
He further claimed, "One day, Harbhajan Singh told that my heart tells me to listen to Maulana's words. He didn't know who this person was, but he said, "Dil karta hai iski baat maan lu." Then I told, "Listen to him, what is the harm." He said, "Tumhe dekhke ruk jaata hu. (I stop after seeing you)" I responded, "Mujhe dekhke kyu ruk jaate ho? (why do you stop after seeing me)."
In a subsequent widely circulated video on social media, Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan captain and ex-Chief Selector, asserted that he, along with his teammate Saqlain Mushtaq, made efforts to persuade foreigners and English players to convert to Islam while playing for a club. In one of the videos, Inzamam also mentioned approaching West Indies legend Brian Lara with the idea of embracing Islam.
Just before Pakistan's departure from the ODI World Cup 2023, Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped down from his role as the Chief Selector of the Pakistan cricket team amid accusations of a conflict of interest. In addition to the conflict of interest concerns, Inzamam is currently under investigation for his alleged shareholding in 'Yazo International Limited,' a company linked to player agent Talha Rehmani.
The disclosure has raised apprehensions regarding potential conflicts of interest, especially given that Rehmani serves as the representative for several notable Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Concerns have also been voiced regarding whether Inzamam's simultaneous positions as Chief Selector and a shareholder in a company representing prominent cricketers could impact decisions related to player selection. It is noteworthy that this controversy emerges amid substantial disagreements between the PCB and players regarding central contracts.
“I am stepping down from the post to offer the PCB the opportunity to conduct a transparent inquiry about the conflict of interest allegations raised in the media. If the committee finds me not guilty, I will resume my role as the chief selector," Inzamam told the PCB earlier.
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