September 20, 2025

The cricket battlefield has moved off the pitch and onto social media with a sizzling word war between former rivals Shahid Afridi and Irfan Pathan! The drama kicked off after Afridi's fiery rant on Pakistani TV went viral, triggering a sharp comeback from Pathan — without even naming Afridi directly. Pathan poked fun, saying, "Aap Log sahi kehte hain: ‘Ye padosi X players aur media Irfan Pathan ke naam se obsessed hain.’" This translates to him calling out the neighboring country's ex-players and media for their obsession with his name. Bold, right? Afridi wasn't having any of it. Speaking on Pakistan's Samaa TV, he challenged Pathan to settle scores face to face, saying, “Main usko mard manta hu jo samne khara hoke baat kare... Phir maja ayega na, jawab bhi de sake banda.” Basically, he respects only those who talk straight to him rather than behind his back. But why this new twist in their old story? It all goes back to a 2006 incident on a team flight when Afridi patted Pathan's head playfully. Pathan recalled this on a podcast recently and dropped a spicy comeback: “I asked Abdul Razzaq if dog meat was available, and he was shocked. I then pointed at Afridi and said he has eaten dog meat, that's why he's barking like one.” Ouch! That jab definitely stung Afridi. Their past on-field rivalry is intense too. Pathan has bowled 154 balls to Afridi and dismissed him nine times – that's a wicket every 17 balls! Now with tensions rising between India and Pakistan off the field, this personal spat is adding extra flavor to their upcoming Asia Cup clashes. These two teams have already faced off once in the tournament, and are set to lock horns again in the Super 4s stage—and maybe the final. With Afridi and Pathan’s fireworks going strong, fans can expect plenty of drama both on and off the cricket pitch!

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Tags: Shahid afridi, Irfan pathan, Cricket rivalry, Social media spat, India pakistan match, Asia cup 2023,