Celebrities

Shahid Afridi quits Karachi over crumbling infrastructure

Shahid Afridi has said he left Karachi over its crumbling infrastructure, expressing disappointment that years of construction and investment have failed to bring meaningful change.

In an interview with Fawad Alam, the former Pakistan captain touched on a range of topics—comparing Karachi’s decline to Islamabad and Lahore, reminiscing about his cricketing roots, revisiting the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, responding to criticism of Babar Azam, and offering guidance to aspiring young players.

Afridi began by praising Karachi’s people but said relocating to Islamabad was necessary for a better quality of life.

“I get ashamed coming back after so long and expecting better roads, but I am sad to say that what people say could have been Paris—which I laugh at—is now areas like Korangi and University Road. I don’t know how long the construction has even been going on for,” he said.

He added that leaving his hometown was not an easy decision.

“It was a difficult choice to leave Karachi, the city that I grew up in. It is an amazing place with amazing people, but Islamabad’s infrastructure and foundation are better. Having easy access to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Lahore through the motorway is also convenient.”

Afridi also questioned why Karachi’s roads remain in poor condition despite significant investment and years of development work. “There is so much money for properties to be made, and there has been construction going on for so long, but the roads are still in such a bad state.”

However, he acknowledged that some infrastructure projects have been positive, specifically mentioning the Shahrah-e-Bhutto Expressway.

“Yes, there is Shahrah-e-Bhutto. I’ll admit that there is some good work. However, there is a lot more to be done. I do not think that only one or two projects can satisfy the people. Karachi is a huge city.”

Beyond discussing Karachi’s challenges, Afridi reflected on the city that shaped his cricket career. “Karachi had a cricket craze. My neighbourhood would play cricket all day and there were many role models to look up to, such as Imran Khan. I started as a fast bowler before trying spin. I used to train with Mohsin Rasheed.”

He added that club cricket in Karachi was highly competitive and drew significant crowds. “Karachi had top-level cricket, so earning a place in a club was a big achievement. People would come to watch our matches, and even top first-class cricketers played club cricket. That’s where cricket became a part of my life.”

Afridi also revisited the 2010 spot-fixing scandal, describing it as one of the most difficult periods of his career as Pakistan’s Test captain.

Referring to the scandal involving three Pakistan players who were found guilty of deliberately bowling no-balls during a Test match, Afridi said he had raised concerns with team management but felt they were ignored.

“They made me Test captain and gave me three or four people to watch. I was upset with the management because I tried to keep our youngsters away from certain people, but no action was taken. We also lost the match.”

He added that the revelations came as a shock. “I did not even know what was happening in our cricket team. I couldn’t believe the boys could do something like that. Now, I just try to leave those things in the past.”

Addressing perceptions that he has been overly critical of Babar Azam, Afridi said his comments have often been taken out of context.

“There are some people on social media who cannot accept honest criticism and assume you are against someone. I have always said Babar is one of the most consistent players and probably the best I have seen in Pakistan. But every great player improves with time. Do you think Virat Kohli reached the top overnight? He developed over the years. I have praised Babar, Shaheen and Rizwan for a long time. I am only saying their performances should now help Pakistan win matches.”

Speaking about his son-in-law, Shaheen Shah Afridi, he revealed that he had advised the fast bowler against taking on the captaincy because of the pressures that come with the role.

“I have been through the captaincy phase and the ending is never good. The blame always falls on the captain. They have to worry about their own performance, the team’s performance and face the media.”

He added: “I tried to discourage him, but he wanted to lead Pakistan, and that is every player’s dream. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just a very difficult position. If you are not given the proper authority as captain, I think that is wrong.”

Afridi concluded by encouraging aspiring cricketers to prioritise hard work and discipline over social media.

“If you want to become a cricketer, dream big and aim to play for Pakistan, not just settle for a small job. Dreams are important, but there are no shortcuts. If you want to play cricket, focus only on cricket. Stay away from social media because very few people can handle its pressure. In difficult times, it can make you retreat into your shell. My advice is to put social media aside and focus on your game first.”

Up Next

Qudsia Ali speaks on insecurity, emotional validation

Don't Miss

Fahad Sheikh Responds to Muhammad Ahmed Controversy; Public Apology Comes With a Legal Action

Deedar

Celebrities

Firdous Jamal Takes U-Turn on Shah Rukh Khan Statement

Firdous Jamal is a senior Pakistani television and film actor known for his dramas like Pyare Afzal, Khuda Aur Mohabbat, Waris, Manchalay Ka Sauda, Dehleez, Dhoop Deewar, Takmeel, Kaanch Kay Par, Anna, Nashaib, and many others. The senior actor often makes headlines for his controversial remarks about legendary actors.

Firdous Jamal recently appeared in an interview with the Click 10 Official YouTube channel, where he retracted his previous statement about Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Firdous Jamal said, “I didn’t say anything against Shah Rukh Khan. I admire him; he’s a great actor and an extension of Dilip Kumar. Every actor has a school of thought. I belong to the Dilip Kumar school of thought. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan are different. Different actors take inspiration from different people, while I take inspiration from actors like Dilip Kumar, Muhammad Ali, Agha Talish, and Alauddin. An actor’s beginning and foundation involve learning from others. Man is a mimicry artist; from Adam till now, we have been copying and learning everything. It’s not a bad thing. Learning is a great skill; it’s not a negative thing. It’s the nature of man. Also, Mahira Khan is not my issue. Don’t make her my issue. Neither is she my wife nor a family member, so why are you dragging her into it? It’s good that people like her.”

Firdous Jamal had previously said that Shah Rukh Khan was not a good actor and that comparing the two did not make sense. He had criticized SRK’s pronunciation and diction and said that his physique was also not up to the mark. According to Firdous Jamal, Shah Rukh Khan is a far bigger star than he is an actor

Celebrities

Pakistani celebrities demand justice for toddler raped, murdered in Karachi

Pakistani celebrities have condemned the rape and murder of an 18-month-old child in Karachi’s Qayyumabad, calling for swift justice, stronger child protection measures and greater awareness of risks children may face from people within their homes and families.

From Frieha Altaf to Adnan Siddiqui and Sanam Baloch, several public figures shared messages of grief and outrage, urging authorities to ensure accountability while highlighting the need for increased vigilance to safeguard children.

Actor and host Frieha Altaf questioned the country’s unrelenting crime rate, saying “none of this is new news.” “I’m sick to my stomach. An 18-month-old child gets raped and murdered by a relative in Qayyumabad, Karachi. A truly heinous crime committed,” she wrote. She warned that many cases of child sexual abuse involve people known to the victim.

“Sadly, parents trust friends, neighbours, domestic staff with their young sons and daughters. The biggest percentage of child sexual abuse comes from people you know and trust! As a survivor of this abuse, and the goodwill ambassador of Sahil NGO, I urge all parents to take more care with such decisions. Also, if your child tells you of any such incident or inappropriate touching, please believe them. Children don’t lie!” she added.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui also shared his reaction on Instagram.

“How depraved have we become? An 18-month-old baby. Eighteen months. The accused is reportedly just 17. That doesn’t lessen the horror; it deepens it. Feeling disgusted and heartbroken. There are no words left. Only rage, grief and shame that we have come to this.”

He concluded by praying for “swift and uncompromising justice” for the child and strength for the grieving family.

PHOTO: adnansid1/Instagram

Screengrab: adnansid1/Instagram

Several other celebrities, including Aiman Khan, Mariyam Nafees, Ahsan Khan, Srha Asghar, Zhalay Sarhadi and Ayesha Omar, also shared messages expressing grief and demanding justice.

Celebrities

Rubina Ashraf Breaks Her Silence On The Reality Of Postpartum Depression

Rubina Ashraf is a veteran Pakistani television actress, director, and producer who has been a prominent figure in the entertainment industry since the 1980s. Her hit dramas include Pas-e-Aaina, Tapish, Kasak, Do Bol, Khuda Aur Muhabbat 3, Iqtidar, and others. She also directed the acclaimed serial Ruswai. In her personal life, Rubina is married to Tariq Mirza, and together they have two children: a son and a daughter, Nawal Tariq and Minna Tariq, who also followed in her mother’s footsteps and entered the showbiz industry as an actress.

Today, Rubina Ashraf was a guest on Good Morning Pakistan. During the show, she opened up about the reality of postpartum depression in women after pregnancy.

Talking about it, Rubina Ashraf said, “As a society and as a social setup, we need to understand that pregnancy, postpartum, and pregnancy blues are real. No one knew about these things because there was no concept of them. The story ran for years that it is the job of every woman to give birth to children and that it is something normal, no matter how difficult it was for them or how they individually dealt with it. But now, people need to understand that when a girl is pregnant, her skin, body, and everything else is changing. Despite the happiness, she can suffer from anxiety, which is very real. If she is not taken care of and looked after, she can go into a really bad state of depression. The support and compassion of a husband are important from pregnancy to postpartum because it is a difficult time for a woman. You need care because it can become impossible for you to manage multiple tasks during pregnancy.”