Cricket: Afridi condemns arrest of fan over shirt

Pakistan's captain Shahid Afridi celebrates after the dismissal of Bangladesh's batsman Sabbir Rahman during the World T20 cricket tournament match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at The Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata on March 16, 2016. / AFP PHOTO /

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said yesterday the arrest of an Indian student for wearing a shirt bearing his name was “shameful”, but would not deter the subcontinent’s cricket-mad fans from supporting rival players.

Ripon Chowdhury, 21, was arrested on Sunday in Hailakandi, a small town in the northeastern state of Assam, while watching a local cricket tournament after his shirt angered a Hindu nationalist group. “A complaint was lodged against him by a local right-wing outfit.

We arrested him based on the complaint but gave him bail immediately,” a source told AFP on condition of anonymity, refusing to confirm media reports that Chowdhury had been charged with obscenity in a public place. Afridi, whose mighty sixes and all-or-nothing approach to batting earned him a huge following across the cricketing world, slammed the move.

“It was shameful to arrest a fan for wearing my shirt,” the 36-year-old told AFP.