Islamabad, April 05: Pakistan’s cricket captain Shahid Afridi has been criticised for saying Indians do not have ”large and clean hearts”, like his countrymen.
”They [Indians] will never have hearts like Muslims and Pakistanis,” he told a Pakistani TV show, according to news agency PTI. ”I don’t think they have the large and clean hearts that Allah has given us.” Afridi had been quite complimentary about the Indian crowd following the loss in the World Cup semi-final in Mohali last week, but on air criticised Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik for warning the Pakistani team not to get involved in match-fixing, and Indian opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, who vowed to dedicate the victory in the World Cup final to victims of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack.
“I think they were very stupid comments by Malik and Gambhir,” Afridi said. ”I wasn’t expecting this from Gautam … What do you know about who carried out the Bombay attacks?” Former Pakistan skipper Aamir Sohail said Afridi should not have made the remarks just after the goodwill generated in the aftermath of the semi-final clash. ”His statement is kind of immature-ish and at the same time untimely,” Sohail said.
LEHMANN SUES
Will Miss Piggy appear at the trial? Jens Lehmann has filed a suit seeking compensation from fellow goalkeeper Tim Wiese of Werder Bremen for telling a TV audience Lehmann belonged in The Muppet Show and suggesting he had mental problems. Lehmann recently came out of retirement to return to Arsenal, but while commentating in September criticised Wiese’s performance in a match against Tottenham Hotspur. Wiese responded in a newspaper by saying Lehmann should ”go on The Muppet Show”. He continued: ”The man belongs on the couch. Perhaps that would help him.
He should be committed – preferably locked up.” Lehmann wants €20,000 ($27,500) for having his ”personal rights violated”.
CINK TAMES GAME
It’s tough enough getting a ticket to the US Masters, but to play the course? Nearly impossible. However, the EA Sports video game company has released Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, and former British Open champion Stewart Cink, who has played the Masters 13 times, reviewing the game for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said he was impressed with the rendering of the course. Cink shot an 80 with a couple of 11s under the mercy rule. ”The game has the mercy rule,” he said. ”But there’s no mercy at the Masters.”
BREEN v BLOKES
Reigning 100 metres champion Melissa Breen will aim to become the first woman to advance from the heats of the Stawell Gift over Easter. Breen will become only the fifth female athlete to compete in the famous handicap event. She will start from off either 11m or 12m.
–PTI