Irfan Pathan exposes fabricated Babar Azam interview story

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan said a Pakistani media outlet published a false story claiming he had travelled to interview Pakistan’s batsman Babar Azam, who allegedly refused because of Pathan’s criticism of Pakistan. The claim was supported by a digitally altered photograph that placed Pathan’s face on a young Bangladeshi reporter’s body. Pathan told JioHotstar’s “Cheeky Singles” programme that the story garnered over a million views before being debunked. He added, “The media in our neighbouring country once ran a story claiming that I had gone to interview Babar Azam, and that he refused because, according to him, ‘He trolls our country, so I won’t give him an interview.’ It was a complete lie.” Pathan said such trolling and fake attribution occur daily and he generally avoids responding to every rumor.

The incident highlights the spread of misinformation involving high‑profile cricket figures across India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and the challenges public personalities face in countering fabricated narratives.