NEW DELHI: In a strong rebuttal to former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq‘s recent claims, 2011 World Cup-winning Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh expressed his pride in being an Indian and slammed the assertions made by Inzamam regarding his interest in Islamic teachings.
Harbhajan took to social media to address the issue, reposting a video in which Inzamam claimed that the star spinner had shown interest in following the teachings of Pakistan’s Islamic preacher, Maulana Tariq Jameel.
“Yeh kon sa nasha pee kar baat kar raha hai? I am a proud Indian and proud Sikh..yeh Bakwaas log kuch bi bakte hai,” Harbhajan wrote on his X handle, expressing his anger and dismissing Inzamam’s statements.

In the video shared by Harbhajan, Inzamam narrated interactions with Harbhajan during their playing days, claiming that the Indian spinner, along with other players, used to accompany them to listen to the teachings of Maulana Tariq Jameel.
“Maulana Tariq Jameel would talk to us during our playing days and preach Islam after evening prayers. We used to invite Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Kaif, and Zaheer Khan to come and offer Namaz with us,” said Inzamam in the viral video.
“Some other players, including Harbhajan Singh, would also accompany us and listen to the teachings of Tariq Jameel. Harbhajan used to tell me that I feel like following the teachings of the Maulana (Tariq Jameel),” Inzamam added.
Harbhajan’s categorical denial of these claims underscores his strong affiliation with his Indian and Sikh identity. The cricketer, known for his fierce competitiveness on the field, was quick to dismiss what he termed as baseless allegations.

Inzamam, who recently stepped down as Pakistan’s chief selector, faced allegations of conflict of interest in the team’s selection process. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accepted his resignation and announced the formation of a fact-finding committee to investigate the reported conflict of interest. Inzamam had confirmed his resignation on SAMAA TV’s show ‘Zor Ka Jor,’ citing the need for a transparent inquiry into the allegations.
(With inputs from ANI)