'Hindu players ostracised, Christians forced to convert to Islam in Pakistan': Former cricketer Atul Wassan slams Shama Mohamed

Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan came down heavily on Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed, who sparked a controversy by asking whether Mumbai cricketer Sarfaraz Khan was not selected in the India A cricket squad "because of his surname."

In a post on X, the Congress leader had said, "Is Sarfaraz Khan not selected because of his surname ! #justasking. We know where Gautam Gambhir stands on that matter."

Calling her remarks "unfortunate" and "a big insult to Indian cricket system" Wassan said as part of the cricket system, and as a former player, he feels ashamed that a certain party spokesperson has said that.

He compared the situation faced by the cricketers in Pakistan, where players were left with no other option other than to convert to Islam. 

"Look at our neighbours, how Cricketers had to survive. Someone had to convert from Christianity to Islam to survive. How Hindu players were ostracised there. It has never happened here."

He further said that whenever the communal card is played in sports in India, he feels "wretched in my stomach."

"I played cricket; we had never even thought of any other cricketer in terms of their community or where they came from, because it is the quality of the player. She forgets that India has been led by Mohammad Azharuddin for 12 years. Even currently, too, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj," he said.

He took agreed that Sarfaraz could have been part of the team, but that is a cricketing topic and one can disagree with the opinion of the selectors. "But that doesn't mean that you give this shape and tenor of him being from a particular community. Then you are maligning all the cricketers and the system. It is a big insult to the Indian cricket system."

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