Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has extended a symbolic tea offer to former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan in response to a heated exchange sparked by political commentary.
The exchange began during Afridi’s appearance on a private television talk show, where he harshly criticized the Indian government over a recent alleged false-flag operation in Pahalgam. Afridi accused the Modi-led administration of consistently blaming Pakistan for any security incident in India without evidence.
“If even a single firecracker goes off in India, they blame Pakistan immediately,” Afridi said. “There are 800,000 Indian troops in occupied Kashmir—yet this incident occurred. This is your failure. It’s sheer incompetence.”
Shikhar Dhawan reacted strongly to Afridi’s remarks, taking to social platform X to post a critical response. In a tongue-in-cheek yet pointed rebuttal, Afridi posted a photo of himself in military attire holding a cup of tea, captioned with an invitation to Dhawan:
“Forget about winning or losing, come have some tea, Shikhar.”
He added the hashtag #FantasticTea, referencing a popular social media phrase that originated from a previous Indo-Pak exchange involving tea diplomacy.
Afridi later reiterated his position, expressing regret over India’s premature accusations regarding the Kashmir incident.
“Blaming Pakistan without evidence is unfortunate,” he said. “Pakistan is itself a victim of terrorism. The loss of lives in occupied Kashmir and the surge in terror attacks in Pakistan are deeply saddening.”
Emphasizing the need for peaceful engagement, Afridi urged both nations to prioritize diplomacy over hostility.
“Dialogue is the only path forward,” he stated. “Violence yields nothing, and cricket should not fall prey to politics.”
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