Irfan Pathan recently spoke out about the incessant trolling and fake news he faces and a story that a fake story suggested Pakistan batsman Babar Azam had refused to be interviewed by him. Speaking in a rather candid interview on the JioHotstar show 'Cheeky Singles’, the former cricketer said that he is now in the business of getting on with it with fake news and allegations which is all too common. In the case of every false story, Pathan said that it is not possible and healthy to go on living your life as an internet user.
Pathan recalled an episode of fake news in which media on the other side of the border had just written that he had approached Babar Azam for an interview and was turned down for no reason in the name of anti-Pakistan commentary. In fact, the former star explained that his photo had been manipulated with photos that made Pathan’s face photoshopped on the body of another person to put him as the picture to the person in the original photo, a young Bangladeshi reporter covering a match, who had been turned down for an interview at the ground. Despite the obvious manipulation, the post had over 1.8 million views so the fake encounter with Babar Azam was so convincing to a huge audience.
Pathan said such digital misinformation is happening every day and not just to himself, but to various other sports personalities. And if so by being so busy in front of all the online negativity and constant clarifications, the veteran commentator prefers to remain quiet because in his opinion, the biggest peace is in the absence of all the false chatter on the internet.
Pathan has played a great career in the international game from 2003 to 2012 and has established himself as one of India's best all-rounders. He scored 2,821 runs in 141 innings at an average of 26.12, including one century and 11 half-centuries with the ball. He was a dangerous left-arm swing bowler who took 301 wickets at 29.85 with nine five-wicket hauls and two ten-wicket match hauls, but he was often hampered by injuries. He played for several franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL): Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant, and Gujarat Lions, taking 80 wickets and scoring 1,139 runs in 103 games. Now that he is a world-class cricketer, Pathan has his reputation and fame but he is a man who is more comfortable in the limelight and won't bother much with all the noise of the world.
