Irfan Pathan Reveals Fake Babar Azam Story Using Photoshopped Image

Irfan Pathan has recalled an incident in which a false story claimed Pakistan batter Babar Azam had refused to give him an interview because of his alleged comments about Pakistan.

Speaking on JioHotstar’s Cheeky Singles, the former India all-rounder said the report was based on a photoshopped image and was widely circulated despite having no basis in reality.

“The trolling and fake attribution happen every day,” Pathan said.

Irfan Pathan says his face was photoshopped onto another reporter

According to Pathan, a media outlet in Pakistan published a report claiming he had approached Babar for an interview during a tournament, only to be turned down because of his alleged criticism of Pakistan.

Pathan said the image used to support the story had originally featured a young Bangladeshi reporter who had approached Babar.

“It was a complete lie. Someone had photoshopped my face onto a picture,” he said.

The former India cricketer said the fabricated image was then used to give credibility to the story, which subsequently spread widely on social media.

“The person in the original image was a young Bangladeshi reporter who had gone to the ground for the first time and was refused an interview. They literally put my face on his body and spread the story.”

‘If you keep responding to everyone, you won’t be able to live your life’

Pathan claimed the story received more than a million views, with many people believing the incident had actually happened.

Rather than repeatedly responding to such claims, however, the former India all-rounder said he has generally chosen to ignore misinformation circulated about him.

“This happens every day, but I don’t respond. Every day, some lie is told in our name or about some player. If you keep responding to everyone, you won’t be able to live your life,” he added.

The comments underline a wider problem for high-profile cricketers, who are frequently subjected to fabricated quotes and manipulated images on social media, particularly around India-Pakistan fixtures.

Irfan Pathan’s India career included 2007 T20 World Cup triumph

Pathan was part of India’s title-winning campaign at the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and was named Player of the Match in the final against Pakistan.

The left-arm seamer finished his international career with 301 wickets and 2,821 runs across formats. He also played 103 IPL matches, taking 80 wickets and scoring 1,139 runs before retiring from professional cricket.