Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi has vehemently denied endorsing the Zionist movement after Friends of Israel (FOI), a grassroots organisation advocating for Israel, posted a picture of him with their representatives in Manchester. The image, shared on Wednesday, showed Afridi standing with two men, one holding a flyer alleging that Hamas had kidnapped Israeli babies. The flyer included the hashtag #BringThemHome, calling for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7.
The FOI claimed Afridi had been photographed with their co-chair and deputy chair, expressing gratitude for his supposed support. Afridi responded with disbelief, urging the public not to believe everything seen online.
“Imagine strolling down a street in Manchester (UK) and so-called fans approach you for a selfie. You oblige, and moments later, they upload it as some form of Zionist endorsement,” Afridi wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He added, “Seeing innocent lives in Palestine suffer is truly heartbreaking. Thus, any photo or association shared in Manchester does not reflect my support for any situation where human lives are at stake.” Afridi emphasised that he often takes pictures with fans worldwide and that this situation was no different. He concluded by praying for peace, freedom, and an “end to this war.”
Author Fatima Bhutto urged Afridi to comment on the matter. After his explanation, she stated, “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 Afridi had taken a picture with his own camera, featuring their hostage placards, and posed for a selfie with their leaflets. “You spoke to us of your own free will and posed for a selfie with hostage leaflets to support our cause. It’s hugely disappointing you have caved into those who would oppose the release of innocent babies, children, women, and men held hostage by the terrorists of Hamas,” the organisation wrote.
Afridi swiftly countered, asserting 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.
The FOI persisted, questioning whether Afridi did not want the hostages released. They claimed he asked for a picture with his own phone with their placards in the background and posed for a selfie with their hostage leaflets.
The cricketer has not responded to FOI’s latest tweets.
Since the war began following Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack, 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 in Gaza that resulted in over 200 Palestinian deaths, one of the bloodiest Israeli assaults according to Reuters.
