After India was beaten comprehensively by Pakistan in their opening encounter of the T20 World Cup, the former left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir took to Twitter to take a dig on Harbhajan Singh. Having never beaten India, it was expected that the cross-border neighbours would show maturity about the solitary win, however, Amir, in his childish attempts to create banter, came across as juvenile.
It all began when Amir tweeted, whilst tagging Harbhajan, “Harbhajan Paa ji ne TVto nai toda apna?” which loosely translates to “Did Harbhajan break his TV.”
hello everyone woh pochna yeah tha @harbhajan_singh paa ji ne TV to ni tora apna koi ni hota hai end of the day its a game of cricket 😊.
— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) October 25, 2021
To this, Singh replied on Twitter saying, “Ab Tum bi bologe @iamamirofficial. yeh 6 ki landing tumhare ghar k tv par to nahi hui thi ?? Koi nahi hota hai end of the day it’s a game of cricket as u rightly said” which loosely translates to “Now you will also say things? Did this six land on your TV at home?” With this tweet, he attached a video of him hitting a last over six against Pakistan on the bowling of Mohammad Amir in an Asia Cup match.
Ab Tum bi bologe @iamamirofficial yeh 6 ki landing tumhare ghar k tv par to nahi hui thi ?? Koi nahi hota hai end of the day it’s a game of cricket as u rightly said 🤣 https://t.co/XqSnWhg9t3 pic.twitter.com/4IuWpPOpF1
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 26, 2021
Taking the childish spat further, Amir shared an old video and mocked Singh for the time Shahid Afridi hit him for four sixes in an over.
“me busy tha @harbhajan_singh apki bowling dekh raha tha test jab LaLA ne apko 4 bowls pe 4 sixes mare thay but cricket hai lag sakte but test cricket me 😅😅😅😅thora ziada ho gia tha” (I was busy, was watching your bowling when Lala (Afridi) hit you for four consecutive sixes. It’s cricket, it can happen but it was a Test match. That is pushing things a tad,”
https://t.co/tZGLtwBKCa me busy tha @harbhajan_singh apki bowling dekh raha tha test jab LaLA ne apko 4 bowls pe 4 sixes mare thay but cricket hai lag sakte but test cricket me 😅😅😅😅thora ziada ho gia tha
— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) October 26, 2021
Afterward, Harbhajan Singh slammed Amir for the ‘Lord’s Test No-Ball’ spot-fixing incident in 2010. Amir had to spend years in anonymity for selling his nation for a few bucks and brought him a whole lot of disgrace.
“Lords mai no ball kaise ho gya tha ?? Kitna liya kisne diya ? Test cricket hai no ball kaise ho sakta hai ? Shame on u and ur other supporters for disgracing this beautiful game” (How did the Lord’s no-ball happen? How much did you take, how much did you receive? It’s Test cricket, how can you ball a no-ball? Shame on you and your other supporters for disgracing this beautiful game)
Lords mai no ball kaise ho gya tha ?? Kitna liya kisne diya ? Test cricket hai no ball kaise ho sakta hai ? Shame on u and ur other supporters for disgracing this beautiful game https://t.co/nbv6SWMvQl
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) October 26, 2021
On Wednesday evening, Harbhajan also made a video which was published on his Youtube channel with the headline ‘Apne desh ko bechne wale Mohammad Amir apni aukaat mei rahe (Selling your own country Mohammad Amir, stay in your limits).
Harbhajan didn’t show any patriotism, he was merely saving himself
In the end, Harbhajan requested Pakistan Prime Imran Khan by tweeting, “I would request Imran Khan to open a school for such children where they can learn how to speak to senior cricketers. In our country, we are taught manners. Even today, we talk with cricketers like Wasim Akram with a lot of respect. And people like him (Amir) don’t know what to talk with whom. I should not have reacted to the comments of a person who sold his country,”
While Harbhajan took a stand, it wasn’t out of patriotism. He was merely protecting himself and his reputation. The off-spinner has had a thing for Pakistan.
Harbhajan showing his love for Bhindranwale and Khalistan
As reported by TFI, on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, Harbhajan posted a story on Instagram which not only glorified Bhindranwale but also dubbed him as a ‘martyr’. The Instagram story began with the caption ‘Salute to the martyrs’ and the text on the poster shared, written in Punjabi that read, “Heartfelt tribute to those martyred in Operation inside Shri Harmandir Sahib on June 1- June 6, 1984.” Make no mistake, Bhindranwale was prominently placed on the poster and impossible to miss.
https://twitter.com/MayankP44023549/status/1401732950517972992?
Expectedly, the post created a huge furor as Harbhajan was publicly advocating for a terrorist who wanted to carve out a separate country of Khalistan from India. Sensing the outrage, Harbhajan took to Twitter to tender an apology.
Singh offered a meek defense as he said, “I just wish to clarify and apologize for an Instagram post yesterday. It was a WhatsApp forward that I posted in a haste without even realizing the content used and what it signified or stood for. That was my mistake I accept, and at no stage do I subscribe to the views on that post or support the people who’s pictures were carried. I am a Sikh who will fight for India and not against India. This is my unconditional apology for hurting the sentiments of my nation. In fact any anti national group against my people, I do not support and never will.”
My heartfelt apology to my people..🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/S44cszY7lh
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 7, 2021
Supporting Shahid Afridi
Harbhajan, along with Yuvraj Singh was one of the few Indian cricketers to come out in support of Shahid Afridi and his foundation during the peak of the Covid pandemic last year. However, after Afridi made a horrid speech against India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Pakistan occupied Kashmir, both Bhajji and Yuvraj were made to retract their statements.
The off-spinner had remarked, “This man (Afridi) is talking ill about our country. All I have to say is we have nothing to do with Shahid Afridi. He has no right to speak ill against our country and he should stay in his country and limits,” The off-spinner even apologised to anyone who had been hurt by his action and promised that he will never speak for anyone who spreads hate against India. Harbhajan said his friendship was limited to the cricket field but it is no longer there.
Gulping down the bitter secular tonic
More recently, Harbhajan had to gulp down the tonic of secularism when during a talk show he remarked that India and Pakistan were one. “We are one. If you look at history, Indians and Pakistanis, we look the same. And why do we have so much hatred? Because we started playing against each other or because we make inappropriate remarks about each other? Why is that?”
However, Shoaib Akhtar quickly burst his bubble of brotherhood by stating that he believed in the two-nation theory, “I will not go deep into it. From the two-nation theory until now, there is a long history. We believe in the two-nation theory, I believe in it. We have an ideology. Ie we start talking about it, then it will go very far.”
Despite the Pakistani players showing repeatedly that for them Harbhajan is merely a Kaafir, the off-spinner continues to warm up to them and the elements that support Pakistan. It’s difficult to unlearn one’s principles at such an advanced age and thus like clockwork, Harbhajan continues to get embroiled in such controversies.
