Shahid Afridi has denied endorsing the Zionist movement after Friends of Israel (FOI) posted a picture with the cricket star, claiming he supported their call to release hostages. The image, shared on Wednesday, shows Afridi in Manchester with two men, one holding a flyer about Israeli babies allegedly kidnapped by Hamas. The flyer prominently features the hashtag #BringThemHome, advocating for the hostages’ release taken by Hamas on October 7.
FOI stated that Afridi was with the co-chair and deputy chair of their organization and thanked him for his support. However, Afridi quickly responded to the backlash, urging people not to believe everything they see online.
“Imagine walking down a street in Manchester (UK) and fans approach you for a selfie. You oblige, and later they upload it as some form of Zionist endorsement,” Afridi wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Seeing innocent lives in Palestine suffer is truly heartbreaking. Any photo or association shared in Manchester does not reflect my support for any situation where human lives are at stake.”
Afridi explained that he takes pictures with fans worldwide and this situation was no different. He also prayed for peace, freedom, and an end to the conflict.
Author Fatima Bhutto called for Afridi to comment, and after his explanation, she noted, “He commented and said he had no idea who they were. I guess they [the FOI] were keen to look like there were more than five people at their event.”
In response, FOI alleged that Afridi took a picture with his own camera featuring their hostage placards and agreed to pose for a selfie with their leaflets. They expressed disappointment, claiming Afridi caved into pressure from those opposing the hostages’ release.
Afridi clarified that he believed the selfie was with a fan and did not endorse the FOI’s tweet. “As a Muslim, I pray for peace across the world,” he said, requesting the deletion of the inaccurate tweet.
FOI continued the exchange, questioning if Afridi did not want the hostages released and insisting he approached them and agreed to the selfie with their leaflets.
The cricketer has not responded to FOI’s latest tweets.
Since the war began following Hamas’s attack on October 7, Israeli forces have killed at least 37,266 people in Gaza, mostly civilians. Earlier this month, Israeli forces rescued four hostages held by Hamas in a raid that killed more than 200 Palestinians, one of the deadliest Israeli assaults, according to Reuters.
