An unidentified man, whose video of fat-shaming Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed went viral on social media, has issued an apology to the 32-year-old. In the video, it looked like the man was trying to take a picture. However, as soon as the captain obliged, it was revealed that the “fan” was actually trying to make a nasty video insulting Ahmed, who was present at the mall in UK with his family.
The unruly man went as far as hurling abuses at Ahmed in the presence of his son and called him a “fat pig”.
A shameful act by a Pakistani fan with captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, this is how we treat our National Heros. Highly condemnable!! 😡 pic.twitter.com/WzAj0RaFI7
— Syed Raza Mehdi (@SyedRezaMehdi) June 21, 2019
Instead of responding to the disgusting attack by lashing out, the Pakistan captain maintained his composure and left without retaliating even as the man kept shouting insults behind his back.
Fans have come out in support of Sarfaraz, praising him for staying cool in the face of abuse and said his mother's teachings reflected in how he reacted. Others termed the behaviour of the man in the video as "shameful" and "completely unacceptable".
In face of this stiff criticism from around the world, the man has now apologised in a video message.
"I was telling something to the Pakistani captain, which is not correct. I apologise to everyone, who was offended with the incident, I had never uploaded that video," he said.
In a flashing, distasteful continuation of his pettiness, the man added that he was “unaware” that the little boy accompanying the Pakistan skipper was his son and nor did he know that he was a ‘Hafiz-e-Quran’, a person who has memorized the Quran and with that attained an elevated status of piety.
Not just this, but in the course of his message, he also accuses Sarfaraz Ahmed of walking up to him angrily after the video was shot and prompting him to delete it. We don’t see what’s wrong in that even if he did, you know.
The man concluded the video by saying even he is a Pakistani and didn't realise the outcome of his actions would be so severe.
Aplgy as useless as dis man. No real man would behave like this to anyone, 4get being hafiz e quran or whatsoever. It also doesnt matter if d kid was his son or not. A kid is future of world. Show him gud things so that he does gud to the world. 🙏🏼Sarfraz 4 dealing dis jahil.
— Ravi (@Ravish918) June 22, 2019
His resentful comments had garnered severe backlash, with people from all corners of the world and all walks of life collectively condemning it.
"They are professionals. Imagine you are abused like this while you are in public for some mistake you did in your 9 to 5 job. Sickening," one fan on social media responded to the video.
Another pondered what if Sarfaraz too had responded in the same manner. "Someday some athlete will lose his patience and the world will outrage over that athlete. It's incidents like these that makes sportsmen isolate themselves from fans," he wrote.
This time too, his poor excuse for an apology that sounds forced and empty of much logic or sensitivity still, has not gone too well with Twitter users who have already started bashing him for the video:
Utter crap. What was Sarfaraz doing? Baby sitting? He wasn't aware it was his son. 🙄Should have thought before saying those words
— Uzair (@Ozzair_Oz) June 21, 2019
Just because a person is hafizulquran or have son forced you to apologize.....? Good for you.However, there is no justification to abuse anyone regardless of whoever they are, always remember that.
— Rabia Khan (@RabiaKhanGul) June 22, 2019
So if he wasn't a hafiz, calling him a pig is fine? And he would just be carrying a random kid around #fool
— Ali Gul Pir (@Aligulpir) June 21, 2019
And for example if he wasn't hafzy Quran?? Then he has the right to abuse?? shame on him...
— Abhiya Ahmed (@Abhiyaahmed) June 22, 2019
Aplgy as useless as dis man. No real man would behave like this to anyone, 4get being hafiz e quran or whatsoever. It also doesnt matter if d kid was his son or not. A kid is future of world. Show him gud things so that he does gud to the world. 🙏🏼Sarfraz 4 dealing dis jahil.
— Ravi (@Ravish918) June 22, 2019