Now Reading: Irfan Pathan says Pakistani media used fake Babar Azam story
-
01
Irfan Pathan says Pakistani media used fake Babar Azam story
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed how Pakistani media fabricated a story about Pakistan captain Babar Azam refusing an interview with him. Pathan said the report claimed Babar declined because of…
The Story in Brief
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed how Pakistani media fabricated a story about Pakistan captain Babar Azam refusing an interview with him. Pathan said the report claimed Babar declined because of his alleged criticism of Pakistan. The story used a doctored image of Pathan's face placed on a Bangladeshi reporter's body. The fake report got over a million views, Pathan said on JioHotstar's Cheeky Singles programme.
Pathan said misinformation and trolling happen daily but he avoids responding to every lie. The original picture showed a young Bangladeshi reporter who was refused an interview by Babar. Pathan added that Pakistani fans often target him, especially during India-Pakistan matches.
The Indian Opinion
The fake Babar Azam story shows how cross-border cricket rivalry fuels a profitable misinformation industry. Social media algorithms amplify sensational lies over facts, with both Indian and Pakistani fanbases ready to believe the worst about the other side. Pathan's refusal to engage daily is sensible but leaves lies unchallenged. The real test is whether platforms will act on doctored images that get a million views. How many such fabrications go unexposed every week?
Sources (3): news.abplive.com, timesnownews.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
