A viral video circulating on social media falsely reported the death and burial of one of Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketers, Shahid Afridi. The footage, which was later revealed to be AI-generated, caused widespread confusion before it was confirmed that Afridi is very much alive and in good health.
Shahid Afridi represented the Pakistan team in international cricket from 1996 to 2018, playing 27 Test matches, 398 ODIs, and 99 T20Is. He scored over 11,000 runs and took 541 wickets across all formats. Afridi also held the record for the fastest ODI century (37 balls) before Corey Anderson (36) broke it.
Is Shahid Afridi Dead and Buried in Karachi?
A video spreading on social media falsely shows that Shahid Afridi has died, including condolence messages from people across Pakistan. It shows a news anchor reading the news, accompanied by footage of a road and an ambulance. It grabbed the attention of users on social media.
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You can watch the video below:
The video circulating online is a fabricated, AI-generated clip with a dubbed news anchor’s voice, spreading false information about Shahid Afridi’s health. In reality, the former Pakistani cricketer is alive and in good health.
India Is 10 Years Behind Pakistan and Dreams of Defeating Us – Afridi
Shahid Afridi had sparked controversy amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions with strong remarks on Pakistani TV. He criticized India’s security in Kashmir, saying their army failed to maintain peace. Afridi also claimed Pakistan is technologically ahead and growing faster.
“Even if a cracker bursts in India, they blame it on Pakistan. You have an 8 lakh-strong army in Kashmir, yet this happened. This means you are useless, not being able to provide security to people,” Afridi had said on Pakistani news channel Samaa TV.
“India is 10 years behind Pakistan and dreams of defeating us and being our equal. Pakistan is the fastest-growing country in the world with the most advanced technology. Even calling India our enemy is an insult to Pakistan,” Afridi had recently said.
Shahid Afridi Made His International Debut in 1996
Afridi made his international debut in 1996 and scored a 37-ball century in just his second ODI. Over a career spanning two decades, he represented Pakistan across all three formats.
In Tests, Afridi played 27 matches, scoring 1,716 runs at an average of 36.51, including five centuries. He retired early from Test cricket.
In ODIs, he played 398 games and scored 8,064 runs at a strike rate close to 118. The leg-spinner took 395 wickets, proving himself as one of cricket’s top all-rounders. He hit 351 sixes in ODIs, and it remains among the most by any player.
Afridi also played 99 T20 Internationals, scoring 1,416 runs and taking 98 wickets. He was a key member of Pakistan’s victorious 2009 T20 World Cup team.
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