T20 WC: Waqar Younis apologises for 'namaz' remark after facing backlash
Karachi, Oct 27: Waqar Younis on Wednesday apologised for his communal remarks during a television show following Pakistan's 10-wicket victory over India in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
Appearing on the A Sports channel, Younis had spoken about not just the blockbuster match but also how opener Muhammad Rizwan had taken time out during a break in the Pakistan innings to offer prayers on the ground.
"What I liked the most was what Rizwan did. 'Usne Hinduon ke beech mein khade ho ke Namaz padhi (He stood in the middle of the ground and offered prayer in front of Hindus). That was something very very special for me," Younis had said.
Waqar's comments evoked a strong reaction in both the countries for his remarks.
Realising his blunder, Younis came out with an apolgy.
"In the heat of the moment, I said something which I did not mean which has hurt the sentiments of many. I apologise for this, this was not intended at all, genuine mistake. Sports unites people regardless of race, colour or religion," he tweeted.
He also apologised on the same channel.
"Commenting on religious matters is something I never do as I respect every one's religion. I got caught up in the moment and I didn't mean to hurt the sentiments of Hindus in Pakistan, India and anywhere in the world.
"I was very excited after Pakistan's win and those words came out in the heat of the moment. I apologise for it," he added.
Noted cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle too expressed his disappointment.
"For a person of Waqar Younis' stature to say that watching Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus was very special to him, is one of the most disappointing things I have heard. A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible," Bhogle tweeted.
"I really hope that a lot of genuine sports lovers in Pakistan are able to see the dangerous side to this statement and join in my disappointment. It makes it very difficult for sports lovers like us to try and tell people it is just sport, just a cricket match."
India had frozen the bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and not allowed players from the neighbouring country to compete in the much-popular IPL.
In the heat of the moment, I said something which I did not mean which has hurt the sentiments of many. I apologise for this, this was not intended at all, genuine mistake. Sports unites people regardless of race, colour or religion. #apologies 🙏🏻
— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) October 26, 2021
Absolutely vile and disgusting comments from Waqar Younis. #Shameful
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 27, 2021
"Rizwan offered Namaz during #INDvPAK match in middle of Hindus was most satisfying thing Mashallah, even more than his batting"
— Pakistan Untold (@pakistan_untold) October 26, 2021
- Waqar Younis & Shoaib Akhtar discusspic.twitter.com/ELTVJSTqh4
I really hope that a lot of genuine sportslovers in Pakistan are able to see the dangerous side to this statement and join in my disappointment. It makes it very difficult for sportslovers like us to try and tell people it is just sport, just a cricket match.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 26, 2021
You would think that cricketers, as ambassadors of our game, would be a little more responsible. I am sure there will be an apology on the way from Waqar. We need to unite the cricket world, not divide it by religion
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) October 26, 2021
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India should create strategic buffers to navigate 'most difficult' energy shock: CEA Nageswaran
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran on Saturday said India needs to create strategic buffers in the face of the "most difficult" energy shock that the country is facing amid the West Asia crisis.
Nageswaran also said the rising prices of fertiliser and petroleum products globally due to the crisis will make it challenging to achieve the 4.3 per cent fiscal deficit target for the current fiscal, while below normal monsoon and pass-through of higher energy prices could lead to "potential inflation spike".
He also said India has employment challenge emanating from AI, and there is a need to ensure that IT sector becomes more competitive and not lose jobs to AI, and instead create jobs that use AI within the IT sector or in other services.
Speaking at the ICPP Growth Conference organised by the Ashoka University, Nageswaran said the current account deficit (CAD) in the current fiscal could rise to over 2 per cent of GDP, from less than 1 per cent in FY'26.
"The ... priority for us is to create strategic buffers. This energy shock is the most difficult one compared to any other previous energy shock in terms of energy lost as a percentage of total global energy supply, not just oil, including gas.
"And we also need to use this occasion to think about other areas where we are vulnerable in terms of import dependence, nickel, tin, and copper. We need to build strategic buffers if we have to make a shot at manufacturing and becoming indispensable," Nageswaran said.
Since the beginning of the war in West Asia on February 28, crude oil prices soared to a four-year high of USD 126 per barrel on Thursday, from about USD 73 level before the war.
Stating that geopolitics will compel policymakers to be nimble and flexible and shed old model of thinking, Nageswaran said India is better prepared than many other countries to deal with the crisis because of the fiscal leeway that the country has due to lowering of fiscal deficit ratio to 4.4 per cent of GDP in FY'26.
Nageswaran said the West Asia conflict is more of a price shock than supply shock for India as the government is managing the supply side deftly.
"This particular conflict, which is going to be on a low simmer or a high flame situation, whatever it is, it is going to be there with us in some form or the other because the military conflict may be over, but the strategic conflict is well and truly alive. It will be so for some time," Nageswaran said.
He said the conflict has four channels of shock: price and supply shock, trade impact, sticky logistics costs and remittance shock.
India imports 60 per cent of its LPG usage and of that, 90 per cent flows through the now closed Strait of Hormuz.
Nageswaran said the pass-through of high global energy prices would have to be a "balancing act". He said some pass-through is already happening in commercial LPG, and the levy of export duty on diesel and ATF.
The government has cut excise duty on petrol and diesel to shield customers from the impact of the rise in petroleum prices. "We are coming around to arriving at a certain modus vivendi with respect to burden-sharing between the fiscal policy side, inflation, households and the oil marketing companies. So it has to be a balancing act," Nageswaran said.
