Harbhajan Singh under fire for sexist remarks during WC final

AHMEDABAD: The ODI World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, witnessed several unexpected moments, including the race to victory by the Aussies.

However, one event left a bad taste in mouth when former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh passed a sexist remark on Bollywood actresses and wives of Indian cricketers, Anushka Sharma and Athiya Shetty.

Harbhajan, serving as part of the commentary panel for the high-stakes final, made controversial remarks as the camera panned to Anushka and Athiya. The Bollywood divas were spotted engaging in conversation in the stadium during the crucial match. Sharing his thoughts, Harbhajan questioned their understanding of the game.

“This is what I was thinking if they are talking about cricket or films.. Because I don’t know how much they understand cricket,” Harbhajan said.

Upon the public revelation of Harbhajan’s remarks, social media platforms, particularly X, formerly Twitter, exploded with criticism. Fans and users voiced their disapproval of Harbhajan’s comments, stressing the importance of respectful and unbiased commentary.

Social media became a battleground as fans expressed discontent with Harbhajan’s comments, deeming them inappropriate and unnecessary. Many users criticised the veteran spinner for diverting attention from the intense on-field action to personal remarks about the actresses.

Here are some other examples of the comments from social media users.