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Breaking News: Afridi can slap

Breaking News: Afridi can slap

I don't care who he kicked. I only wonder if the response toward him would be the same if we had lost the Asia Cup.

Ema Anis March 24, 2012

The breaking news logo in red flashed across the screen and the news anchor continued to exaggerate the half-baked story for a good 10 minutes in a shrill, breathless manner.

Autograph mangnay walay paristaron per chokkon, chakkon, dhakkon aur thapparon ki baarish (Fours, sixes, pushes and slaps raining on autograph-seeking fans)

Shahid Afridi ki Karachi airport per maar dhaar se bharpur century. (Shahid Afridi whacks a fan completing a century with a bang)

Shahid Afridi jazbaat per qabu na rakh sakay, maddahon ki dhunayi kardi! (Shahid Afridi loses control over emotions, bashes fans)

Shahid Afridi kay shaeqeen ko dhakkay aur thappar! (Shahid Afridi's pushes and slaps for his fans)

As usual, all our news channels threw ethics aside, added sound effects and broadcasted Afridi’s brawl with a fan at the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi last night.

Even if we ignore the sensationalism and the irresponsibility of these news channels, the news was still utter nonsense. Afridi later came on mainstream news channels and explained in his defense, that his young daughter was waiting for him with flowers and wasn't noticed by an overwhelming mob of fans that was close enough to trampling the little girl.

He stated:

“They did not show my daughter who had fallen. The breaking news is just showing the act. I got emotional, my young daughter was there. It was a moment of anger. After one relaxes you realise that it is wrong. I realise that I should not have done it.”

I expected an onslaught of hate-filled remarks and thousands of lame caricatures of him (like the ones people make about Misbah). But what happened was totally unexpected. The local Twitterati, usually the first ones to bash everyone to no one, showed a soft corner for Boom Boom.

Tweet 1:

@samishah: How is this afridi thing even an issue. Someone hurt his kid. Accident or no, if he pounded that guy into dust, it's understandable.

Tweet 2:

@Spugmay: Geo news being unfair with #Afridi .. who can be clearly heard in video saying "hatto bachay kharay hoay hain yahan pe"

It is not the first time Afridi has displayed aggressive behaviour and yet, they melted.

Commentors on Tribune did not differ either. Here are some responses:

Comment 1:

Afridi loves cricket and his fans, but he loves his daughter more

Comment 2:

I’d probably react the same way

Ironically, this contradicts the reaction Afridi received after flinging his bat towards a fan once at a cricket stadium and his fans went on the usual bashing spree.

Who knows what the fan said to make him lose his temper?

If Afridi had been advised extensively by people across the country to control his temper then, why not now?

I am least interested in knowing who Afridi pushed, punched or gagged or for what reason and whether it was justified or not. I only wonder: would the response toward him be the same if we had lost the Asia Cup?

I think not.

Read more about Ema here. Follow her on twitter @EmaAnis.

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WRITTEN BY:
Ema Anis

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (34)

ali | 12 years ago | Reply many persons cann't cntrol temper, it is natural. so afridi couldn't. it it is also natural. he did wrong and he confessed. issue is resolved. media and people not have the right to blame afridi. he is hero and will be a hero in future.

hassan | 12 years ago | Reply @JB: Mark above says: " I am astounded to hear the justification of many who say, ‘I’d have done the same thing myself’. These comments reflect the psyche of population, who are conditioned to say, ‘I am not violent per se, but, you made me do this’. Now I can understand the mindset of Pakistanis. No wonder, they are the biggest exporters of terrorism to the world. " I tend to agree with that; I mean, are we so insecure that we have to support the action of every public figure of our country even though it is blatantly wrong ? When Afridi was caught biting the ball, we said, oh he did to help the country win; when Amir and Butt were caught spot-fixing. we said poor guys were trapped by Indians; Osama, no way, he was not in Pakistan; even if he was, he was a nice guy. Qaddafi, what a leader, he brought prosperity to Libya, it is all western propaganda. Idi Amin was a nice fellow. Saddam Hussein basically did nothing wrong. Look at Iran leaders, they are being targeted badly. Generally, all the Arabs are nice role models and western world is a den of evil. We even extend this to our historical figures: Aurangzeb was a scholar and great ruler; Ghazni was a great warrior. Thumb rule is, Anyone who vandalized and plundered the old prosperous India, the land of our ancestors and brought it nothing but bloodshed and misery is worthy of our adulation. Every one of us thinks the same way; we have been indoctrinated and brainwashed beyond redemption. Everyone thinks like a herd, repeats what he has heard from a , mehndii-dyed bearded source. Anyone who has a realistic, non-paranoid world view is a 'liberal scum'.

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JB | 12 years ago | Reply I totally support Afridi...celebrity or not...your family is more important. Had it been my daughter, I would have done the same thing...is it really worth risking your daughter's physical health and safety for an autograph...sorry! Its just not worth it... @Neha Khan...afridi wasn't treating his fans like sh*t...he was PROTECTING HIS DAUGHTER!!!

Muslim | 12 years ago | Reply Not a good act by afridi and not a good justification by his gullible fans.

Neha Khan | 12 years ago | Reply What a disgraceful act by someone who has been made much bigger by the media than he actually is. Performing in one match out of ten hardly makes you a star player. And may I add it is not the first time he has acted this way. I totally agree with those who consider Afridi's fan bashing similar to Waheeda Shah's slap. If those defending him say that it was the matter of his daughter then same argument can be given for Shah that it was her political future at stake. Both arguments are not valid.....aggression in any form, in any situation cannot be condoned. You want your fan following but then treat them like sh*t.....not on Mr. Afridi, totally not on.

Ali Nasir | 12 years ago | Reply @Afridi you did right and this is only the solution for these hero worshipers, beat them because these people does not have life they even does not have anything to do. My request to all the cricketers and other celebrities "beat these people whenever you find them".

munchkin bob | 12 years ago | Reply The act of slapping was however wrong, in spite of the fact that he loves his family. We fans need to learn some ethics actually ...

Nadia | 12 years ago | Reply I think he reacted impulsively and he should not have done that and he realized that himself as well and apologized. As far as the reaction of the public and the media is concerned - I think people would have reacted very differently had it been any other cricket player. However, I think their lack of criticism should not be viewed as approval of his behavior - perhaps people did not criticize him as much as they would have otherwise because he did go ahead and apologize.

Sarah B. Haider | 12 years ago | Reply BROOM BROOM AFridi is a ghairat mand Father and a true reflection of a typical jangjuu Pakistani. How dare the media sensationalise his fatherly emotions!! :P

Pakistan politics | 12 years ago | Reply Shame on our media

abhi | 12 years ago | Reply when you can't perform on field you have to perform off field.

Waqas ur Rahman | 12 years ago | Reply I ask the writer what would have happened to Afridi, had he done the same in a European Country?. He would have been behind the bars. He has got no right to beat up some one. The person who got beaten didnt push his daughter. Afridi response was uncalled for. There is no difference between this case and that of Wahida shah. Both deserve same response.

Mark | 12 years ago | Reply To live in Karachi itself requires some courage, but asking your little daughter to come to the crowded airport teeming with bearded guys, is sheer carelessness. Definitely, not a good display of parenting skills. There was a scrum and the little princess falls down, and I'm quite sure, a few would have also got pushed and shoved around. What does our protective father do? He does not shout for help or throw his fist instinctively. Instead, he chases around a random fan with murderous rage. As if he wanted to strangle him then and there. The way he chased some guy, the former captain of Pakistan, he meant only thing: pure violence. I am astounded to hear the justification of many who say, 'I'd have done the same thing myself'. These comments reflect the psyche of population, who are conditioned to say, 'I am not violent *per se, but, you made me do this'.* Now I can understand the mindset of Pakistanis. No wonder, they are the biggest exporters of terrorism to the world. PS: Another thing I (and the rest of the world) will never understand: Why doemphasized text you have to condone the despicable behavior of someone just because he belongs to your community?

ayesha | 12 years ago | Reply @Zaeem: "Listen the rule is simple : You touch my daughter and i will break your hand,Any father would have done the same in that situation including me." Fair enough - except that the person he slapped is not the person who had stepped on his daughter. I am sure you are one of those who was really upset with Waheeda Shah but condones Afridi.

Pak 1 | 12 years ago | Reply Knowing what happens at airports his daughter should never have been there. He could only do what he did because he was somebody, if mr. Nobody's daughter was in a similar situation they would be preparing for a funeral.

Arsalan | 12 years ago | Reply Lets forget for a minute that it was afridi who did this and lets imagine it to be any one of us... A father... Hurling a bat at a fan is wrong but pushing back people who are overwhelming ur kids is another. Crowd needs to behave and give their stars a breathing space. Oh and by the way, the guy whom afridi supposedly slapped came on tv and said that nothing of the sort happened and he was not slapped and he is still a big fan of afridi so this whole article is void.

Ahmad Fuad | 12 years ago | Reply Ema has made a point. I am a father and I didn't watch the youtube video in full voice because my daughter is sleeping very next to me.... That's what a father does... And Afridi is a human too...

AN | 12 years ago | Reply Afridi apologized. What that shows? He was guilty. That's all. The guy he slapped was not the one who steeped on his daughter. Afridi did it in total confusion and hit someone else. This is not the first time he lost temper, lost control or whatever. He always had an attitude problem. I am his fan but he needs to get a grip on himself.

good boy | 12 years ago | Reply this is why pakistan will never get better because some people are more important than general public.

MarkH | 12 years ago | Reply "If Afridi had been advised extensively by people across the country to control his temper then, why not now?" When you hit someone for talking it's based in lack of self control. That's a character flaw requiring self restraint. When someone, especially your daughter, is going to be harmed and lets face it, there's a track record of people dying from crowd trampling in Pakistan. It's not isolated to Pakistan but I can recall some fairly recent incidences of it that would be fresh in someone's mind who is being bombarded by fans, well intentioned or not. He probably had it in mind for himself at the time and then seeing his daughter in his own feared position set him on the path to react when there was a sign of it. In this case, he was protecting someone from a real threat. Since it was his daughter he did have the motivation of a father protecting his daughter, not just a hot head. That's something people can relate to and understand. Sure, his temper may have played a part. It may have even been what made the difference between him freezing and acting, pushing him forward. But, that's the thing with human traits. They can be negative in certain cases, but in the right situation, they can have a positive effect. That's why "self control" is the idea. A bad temper can actually be a life saver if unleashed at the right time. Assault, self defense, the defense of another, it's all violence. Yet completely different at the same time. It's the common differentiation of the good and the bad people make on a daily basis. This time is no different. In human society and minds, his violence towards a loud mouth and his violence towards a threat are worlds apart. He's not his temper. He's still a man like any other. People are merely seeing that even if it's not a conscious effort to look for it.

lubna majeed | 12 years ago | Reply It was sad to see the self-proclaimed feminists and liberal bloggers and twitterati applauding and celebrating shahid afridi's physical assault on helpless fans.And these are the women who waste no opportunity to scream and raise hue and cry about how violent and cruel men are,but when it came to their hero,these liberal women's rights activists forgot how they always condemn violence and instead this time they actively chose to justify the kicks that Afridi dished out to his fans. The hypocrisy of the violence shunning and peace promoting progressives on twitter and facebook shown brightly yesterday after this attack happened.These self proclaimed liberals should take a look at their own behaviour,they justified and supported violent and uncivilised actions. Violence when done by a religious fanatic is wrong,just as violence done by a celebrity is wrong. The hypocritical support by the liberals for Afridi's violence was most disappointing.

abdul basit | 12 years ago | Reply If misbah had done this and kicked and punched the public,then all of pakistan would have been up in arms and would have been condemning and abusing him.Our double standards in condoning shahid's brutal assault on civilians were shown clearly by this incident. our people behaved like people in cults do,they blindly support and justify all good and evil things done by their cult leader.This hero worship of Afridi which is resulting in people supporting and justifying violent assaults has gone too far.

English teacher | 12 years ago | Reply "threw ethics aside". We must fix our english before we attack Afridi's actions. Pathetic arrangement from airport staff, no security provided. Afridi Actions justified. Player could have potentially gotten hurt. PCB sleeping

muhammad sarmad khan | 12 years ago | Reply That this violence on the part of afridi has widespread public approval is an indication of how deep the rot is within our society.We are applauding and encouraging horrific violence.Whatever afridi's excuse,him kicking and punching people at the airport is unacceptable behaviour.afridi knew that his daughter fell due to the rush of his fans,he knew those people were his fans because his daughter fell towards the end of his long walk and he was being cheered on by his fans from the entrance. Our society's approval for behaving like uncivilised caveman is not shocking,given that we think that violence is a better tool for conflict resolution than verbal communication.Shahid afridi knew he is a role model for millions of young people,he set a very bad example by showing them that violence is the answer for everything.

Hammad | 12 years ago | Reply Hero worshipers.

Imran Swati | 12 years ago | Reply I am asking one qestion from Afridi , why he didn't lose his temper against indians who made him a child in the match . Why these people lose temper against poors and weaks ?

Shahid Gul Samoo | 12 years ago | Reply This is real face of illiterate mentality. Enough 4 fans...

Umar | 12 years ago | Reply Ema, unfortunately you're trying to make a point to the wrong audience. Our nation doesn't have an attention span long enough to get to what you rightly said here. And that itself is the answer to your question.

Falcon | 12 years ago | Reply @Zaeem: You are certainly correct. But aren't we making too ridiculous of an assumption that his fans deliberately wanted to hurt the kid and therefore, violence against them is justified? I think it was more an accident and thanks God everybody came out of it safe. Shahid Afridi himself acted maturely by saying that he should have avoided it.

meero | 12 years ago | Reply if he did something wrong so afridi should call security..i dono whats wrong with Pak cricketer after playing few matches they always start flying

hari om | 12 years ago | Reply Afridi did correct. Why do fans dont give space to star cricketers. I am an indian but I admire good cricketers. Afridi is one of those. He is a good cricketer, but a great father before it.

Shuaib | 12 years ago | Reply Zaeem nailed it. Harm my kids, siblings, parents, and trust you me, I would punch you like a pig.

Mustafa Millwala | 12 years ago | Reply What BOOM BOOM did was exaxtly any Father would do. Shame on Media to Blame our National Hero

Zaeem | 12 years ago | Reply Listen the rule is simple : You touch my daughter and i will break your hand,Any father would have done the same in that situation including me.

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