Former Pakistani captain Inzamam ul Haq claimed that Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh once told him that he wanted to convert to Islam after listening to Maulana Tariq Jameel (Islamic preacher) when the Indian cricket team was in Pakistan.
Coming down heavily at his claims, Harbhajan denied saying anything like this and charged Inzamam for lying.
What happened?
In a viral video, Inzamam ul Haq was saying that Harbhajan was inspired by Maulana Tariq Jameel’s lectures. "Maulana Tariq Jameel would come to lead the Maghrib prayers and after that, he would talk to us. We had also called Indian players like Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan and Mohammed Kaif for the prayers. 2-4 Indian players would also come, though they didn’t read Namaz,” Inzamam said.
He further said, “So one day, Harbhajan said to me, Ye jo aadmi hai na (Tariq Jameel), mera dil karta hai mai iski baat maan loon, (My heart says that I abide by the teachings of this man),” Inzamam quoted Harbhajan.
Further, Inzamam said, “ You can listen to him, what’s wrong.” Inzamam then quoted Harbhajan as saying that the cricketer hesitated because Inzamam’s own life was not under Islamic principles.
His statements came with an aim to tell the people about how Muslims mainly in Pakistan have been led astray and have distanced themselves from the Islamic teachings. He not only spoke about Harbhajan, but also about how former West Indian cricketer, Brian Lara was once invited by Mohammed Yousuf to learn Islam.
How did Harbhajan react?
Harbhajan Singh took a serious note of this and blasted Inzamam for lying. Harbhajan wrote on his X account, “Yeh Kon sa nasha pee kar baat kar raha hai? I am proud Indian and proud Sikh..yeh Bakwas log kuch bhe bakte hai."
The former cricketer is at the centre of the storm after Pakistan’s poor performance in the World Cup and has already stepped down from his post of Chief selector.