International
oi-Gaurav Sharma
The
Kerala
expatriate
community
in
UAE
issued
an
apology
after
a
video
showing
the
Cochin
University
Btech
Alumni
Association
(CUBAA)
welcomed
Pakistani
cricketer
Shahid
Afridi
and
Umar
Gul
at
an
event
in
Dubai.
The
incident
came
to
light
after
a
video
went
viral
showing
Shahid
Afridi
receiving
cheers
from
the
attendees.
Critics
on
social
media
recalled
and
pointed
out
Afridi’s
recent
contentious
comments
about
Indian
Army,
after
the
Pahalgam
terror
attack,
and
called
it
disappointing.
The
backlash
was
characterized
by
comments
on
social
media,
with
one
user
labeling
the
act
as
“shameful” and
another
criticizing
the
community
for
honoring
someone
who
has
spoken
negatively
about
India.
University
Btech
Alumni
Association
Issues
Apology
CUBAA’s
official
statement
on
Instagram
sought
to
address
the
controversy
by
explaining
the
circumstances
surrounding
Afridi’s
appearance.
The
organizers
clarified
that
the
booking
of
Pakistan
Association
Dubai
(PAD)
as
the
venue
for
their
inter-collegiate
dance
competition’s
second
season
was
made
well
in
advance,
before
any
recent
escalations
in
India-Pakistan
tensions.
They
highlighted
the
venue’s
affordability
and
previous
use
for
the
event’s
first
season
as
reasons
for
their
choice.
Furthermore,
they
noted
that
on
the
day
of
their
event,
May
25,
Afridi
and
other
cricketers
arrived
at
the
auditorium
for
a
different
event,
coinciding
with
the
conclusion
of
the
Kerala
community’s
programme.
The
association
stressed
that
Afridi’s
presence
was
neither
planned
nor
facilitated
by
their
organizing
team,
officials,
or
alumni
members.
They
pointed
out
that
their
published
event
schedule
did
not
list
Afridi
or
the
other
cricketers
as
guests,
reinforcing
the
unplanned
nature
of
his
attendance.
They
admitted
to
being
caught
off
guard
by
the
cricketers’ surprise
visit
and
acknowledged
their
inability
to
properly
manage
the
crowd’s
reaction
in
such
a
short
timeframe.
