The meaning of ‘Kuffar to toot gaya’, the phrase used by Pakistan captain Babur Azam during the post-game official ICC ceremony, has been a special focus of debate
File image of Mohammed Shami. News18
India pacer Mohammed Shami, India’s only Muslim cricket player in the team that played against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup match on Sunday, is being subjected to online abuse after the Men in Blue suffered a defeat against arch-rival Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
As soon as India was defeated by Pakistan on Sunday, fans took to Instagram and Twitter to pass derogatory statements on Mohammed Shami. Soon several netizens came out in support of Shami and even urged captain Virat Kohli to support his teammate. The debate on social media continued the next day with politicians, some who only worsened it, and other known personalities joining the debate.
The spat
Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed called Pakistan’s victory over India in the ongoing World Cup T20 match ‘a victory of Islam’.
Rasheed went on to say that “sentiments of all the Muslims of the world including Muslims of India were with…Pakistan’s team.” pic.twitter.com/8M398vuKv7
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) October 25, 2021
Omar Abdullah tweeted:
#MohammedShami was one of 11 players who lost last night, he wasn’t the only player on the field. Team India your BLM knee taking counts for nothing if you can’t stand up for your team mate who is being horribly abused & trolled on social media.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 25, 2021
Pakistan Punjab’s ex-minister and journalist Mubasher Lucman joined the fray:
“Virat Kohli gave bowling to Shami in the end to make him scapegoat for the defeat coz he is a Muslim. Virat wanted abuses be hurled at Shami.”
– Pak Punjab’s ex-minister and journalist Mubasher Lucman#INDvPAKpic.twitter.com/YPjD1Mrir1
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) October 25, 2021
Swati Goel Sharma, senior editor at Swarajya, clapped back:
Don’t be surprised if Indian ‘seculars’ will now make “online attacks on Shami” an issue, ignoring everything from Kufr slurs by Pakistani captain to “victory of Islam” jibe by Pak minister to lack of solidarity for Bangladeshi Hindus
They will toe the Pakistani line. Again. https://t.co/J4mtuc2ZQz
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 25, 2021
Former opener Virender Sehwag extended his support to the India pacer:
The online attack on Mohammad Shami is shocking and we stand by him. He is a champion and Anyone who wears the India cap has India in their hearts far more than any online mob. With you Shami. Agle match mein dikado jalwa.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 25, 2021
Journalist Barkha Dutt condemned the online abuse and said:
Is the Indian cricket team going to take a gratuitous knee for Black Lives Matter, entirely disconnected from the Indian reality, but stay silent on the bigoted online attacks against Mohd Shami? We expect better @imVkohli .
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) October 25, 2021
Not wanting to lose an opportunity to miss the limelight ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owais chimed in:
Md Shami is being targeted on social media for yesterday’s match, showing radicalization, hatred against Muslims. In cricket, you win or lose. There are 11 players in team but only a Muslim player is targeted. Will BJP govt condemn it?: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, in Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/4KUA0FxRmi
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2021
Post-game scenario
Meanwhile, people set off celebratory gunfire in the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Karachi after the win, while hundreds ignited firecrackers in Kashmir Valley, where troops are fighting an insurgency.
Gautam Gambhir, former cricketer and BJP MP, said it was “shameful” that people were celebrating Pakistan’s win.
In Punjab state students from Kashmir said they were beaten up.
“Kashmiri students who were assaulted in Sangrur and Kharar Mohali told me that they were rescued by the locals and other Panjabi students. Students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana had barged into their rooms, thrashed them and went on a rampage,” Nasir Khuehami, the national spokesperson J&K Students Association, claimed.
A senior police official of Sangrur said, “There are about 90 Kashmiri students and around 30 students from UP and Bihar in the college. Kashmiri students stay in 2 wings of the hostel. While the match was on, the students cheered when Pakistan was hitting runs. They also raised azadi slogans.”
He added, “After match ended, students from UP and Bihar went inside the rooms of Kashmiri students and had a scuffle with them. Later, the Kashmiri students also had a scuffle with the students from UP and Bihar. The police and college authorities pacified things overnight.”
The match
Pakistan defeated India by ten wickets and none of the Men in Blue bowlers were able to leave an impact as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan took the bowling to the cleaners.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli also saw some unruly fan behaviour and the trolls have also not been kind to him, as he is also being criticised for his captaincy during the game.
Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam put on a remarkable show on Sunday as Pakistan thrashed India by 10 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Rizwan (79*) and Babar (68*) didn’t give any chance to India bowlers to come on top as the two batsmen dominated the proceedings. Pakistan chased down the target of 152 without losing a wicket as India looked clueless in their opening match.
“We didn’t execute properly. Credit where it’s due and Pakistan outplayed us today. They started brilliantly with the ball, and three wickets for 20 runs was not a good start. We needed wickets early but with the bat, they gave us absolutely no chances,” Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports after the game ended.
“It played slow in the first half and hitting through the line was not that easy as it was in the second half, after 10 overs. We needed those 15-20 extra runs and for that, we needed a good start but Pakistan’s bowling didn’t allow us to get those extra runs,” he added.
During the post game official ICC ceremony, Pakistan captain Babur Azam said ‘Kuffar to toot gaya’. A rough translation of the phrase means the defeat of the infidels or victory of the Islamic world. The comment has contributed to the entire fracas surrounding the match. But many netizens have pointed out that the phrase means “curse has been broken” — this is the first time that India has lost a T20I by ten wickets. Coincidentally, this is also the first time that Pakistan has won a T20I by ten wickets.
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