Former Pakistan cricketer and head coach Mohammad Hafeez has sparked controversy after meeting Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who is wanted by Indian authorities on charges of money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speeches. Hafeez shared pictures from their meeting on social media, but the move did not sit well with netizens.
In the images, Hafeez can be seen standing beside Naik in one photo, wearing a brown kurta-pajama, while another shows them seated at a restaurant, with Hafeez dressed casually in a T-shirt. Captioning the post, Hafeez wrote, “Pleasure meeting with Zakir Naik.” However, social media users were far from pleased.
One user criticized the cricketer by saying, “No wonder why your cricket is going down the drain.” Another pointed to the wider implications of the meeting, stating, “This is one of the reasons why the Indian cricket team and government do not want to visit Pakistan. He is a fugitive from Indian police.” Others also expressed disappointment, with one user writing, “I’m beginning to dislike Hafeez more and more.”
Some critics drew parallels between Hafeez’s meeting with Naik and his own recent remarks on Pakistan’s cricket legacy. Hafeez had questioned why the star-studded 1990s team failed to win multiple ICC tournaments despite their talent. In response, a social media user sarcastically asked, “90s legends zindabad. How many World Cups have you won for Pakistan, sir?” Another added, “Did he speak so much truth on TV after meeting Zakir Naik?”
Many also used the controversy to justify India’s reluctance to tour Pakistan for international matches. “This is exactly why India doesn’t visit Pakistan,” one user remarked. Another took a jab at South African cricketer David Miller, who had criticized the 2025 Champions Trophy schedule due to India’s refusal to play in Pakistan, stating, “Hi David Miller, you wanted the Indian team to play in a country where their former players are meeting and glorifying wanted criminals?”
Hafeez’s remarks on Pakistan’s cricketing history had already drawn mixed reactions. Speaking on OutSide Edge Live, alongside Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, and Sana Mir, he had stated, “I am a huge fan of the 1990s players, but when it comes to legacy, they left nothing for Pakistan. They did not win an ICC event – losing the World Cups in 1996, 1999, and 2003. We reached the 1999 final and lost badly.”
He further argued that Pakistan’s true cricketing inspiration came later, citing the 2007 T20 World Cup final loss, the 2009 T20 World Cup victory under Younis Khan, and the 2017 Champions Trophy win.
Responding to Hafeez’s criticism, Shoaib Malik countered, “These 73 one-dayers that Pakistan won against India, it is us who won them.”
