In 2017, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi had said that Gautam Gambhir is not someone he would like to sit in a coffee shop with.
3 years on, not much has changed.
In a recent interview given to sports presenter Zainab Abbas, Afridi said that while he liked Gambhir as a cricketer, he thought the Indian batsman has some problems as a human.
As a cricketer, as a batsman, I’ve liked him always but as a human being he sometimes says certain things, gives certain treatment that you feel just let it be, he has some problems. His physio has already highlighted that.
Indians, obviously, were not happy about his statement and said he should mind his own business.
Afridi’s statement was in connection with Gambhir’s description, given by Paddy Upton, in his book.
India’s former Mental Conditioning and Strategic Leadership Coach had written:
Using the popular notion of mental toughness, he was one of the weakest and mentally most insecure people I have worked with.
Afridi seems to not have gotten into a habit of giving statements about Indian cricketers as he recently said that Sachin Tendulkar was afraid of Shoaib Akhtar, but he wouldn’t admit.
Which led to a lot of backlash for him from the Indian cricket fans.