Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has once again reopened old wounds with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir, taking a fresh swipe at his long-time rival. The fiery all-rounder, known for his bluntness on and off the field, did not hold back while assessing Gambhir’s coaching stint, which has drawn mixed reactions since his appointment.
In a conversation with Telecom Asia Sport, Afridi claimed Gambhir started his coaching journey with the attitude that he could do no wrong. “The way Gautam started his stint, it looked like he thought whatever he said was right. But after some time, it is proven that you are not always right,” Afridi remarked.
Their tense relationship, dating back to their infamous clash during the 2007 Asia Cup, continues to fuel India–Pakistan cricket narratives. Afridi, in his autobiography, recalled the heated confrontation: “I remember the run-in with Gambhir… the umpires had to finish it off, or I would have. Clearly, we had a frank bilateral discussion about each other’s female relative.”
Afridi doubled down in his book, taking repeated digs at Gambhir’s personality, calling him negative and lacking charisma. “Gambhir behaves like he’s a cross between Don Bradman and James Bond… In Karachi, we call guys like him saryal (burnt up). I like happy, positive people, and Gambhir wasn’t,” he wrote.
He didn’t stop there. Afridi went on to label Gambhir as having “no personality” and being “barely a character in the great game,” adding more fuel to a feud that has spanned nearly two decades.
Gambhir, unsurprisingly, has never shied away from responding. During the 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, he dismissed Afridi’s remarks by questioning his maturity. “Some people grow in age, not mentally… Shahid Afridi may be 36-37, but he is 16 mentally,” Gambhir said, even suggesting psychiatric help for his rival.
Beyond the verbal battle, Afridi also commented on Indian cricket’s future, noting that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli can continue in ODIs until the 2027 World Cup if their workloads are managed smartly.
