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Cochin University's Alumni 'Sorry' For Warmly Welcoming Shahid Afridi In Dubai

Soumyajit Dutta

Shahid Afridi at Cochin University of Science and Technology's Alumni meet [Source: @prafullaketkar/X]Shahid Afridi at Cochin University of Science and Technology's Alumni meet [Source: @prafullaketkar/X]

A Kerala expatriate association in Dubai has issued an apology following significant online criticism for warmly greeting Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi at a recent event. The Cochin University of Science and Technology College and their Alumni Association (CUBAA) clarified the welcome was unintentional.

The backlash erupted after videos showing Afridi cheered and addressed by his "boom boom" nickname at a CUBAA program went viral. This reception angered many social media users, especially given the heightened India-Pakistan tensions after the recent Pahalgam terror attack and Afridi's past controversial remarks about India and its army.

CUBAA's Apologetic Stance After Pro-Pakistani Move At Event

Amid growing controversy, the CUBAA office-bearers posted an apology on Instagram. They stated that the incident was unintentional and expressed regret for the uproar, explaining their venue choice.

“We had booked Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) as a venue of the second season of an inter-collegiate dance competition much before the tension between India and Pakistan. The same venue was used for the first season of the event last year also due to its affordability,” CUBAA said in their apology letter.

The organisers mentioned that diplomatic tensions had eased by the time of their event, and with no alternate venue available at short notice, they went ahead with the planned PAD Dubai location.

Apology letter by CUBAA [Source: @nabilajamal_/X]Apology letter by CUBAA [Source: @nabilajamal_/X]

The organizers clarified that Afridi's presence was unexpected, stating, “Shahid Afridi, along with a few other cricketers, visited the auditorium for a separate event held on the same day as our programme, May 25.” They emphasized that as their event concluded, the cricketers made an “unannounced and unsolicited appearance”.

“We would like to categorically state that no member of our organising team, officials or alumni members invited them nor coordinated this appearance. Our officially published event schedule, which does not include these individuals as guests, further supports this,” the statement asserted.

Concluding their apology, the organizers said, "We regret any confusion or inconvenience caused to attendees, participants, or supporters due to this unplanned development," The association deeply regretted Shahid Afridi's presence and apologized to the ones affected for the inconvenience caused.