(Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Learn to take a joke; you’ll live longer.)
KARACHI – Former Pakistan captain and star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has said that he won’t allow his daughters to participate in any sports. In his autobiography Game Changer, Afridi explains that cricket is ‘not for my girls’ owing to heredity.
“[My daughters] don’t have my permission to play sport. Cricket? No, not for my girls. If they want to follow their father’s lead, they should get into politics, but my daughters are not going to be competing in public sporting activities,” Afridi writes in his autobiography.
“It’s for hereditary reasons that I’ve made this decision and their mother agrees with me. Genetic engineers can say what they want; as a below average Pakistani cricketer, I’ve made my decision,” he adds.
Talking exclusively to The Dependent in an interview about his book, Afridi confirmed that the ban has been imposed strictly owing to genes.
“My daughters don’t have the right genes to become serious sportspersons, even if they have the perfect genes for dressing room politics,” Afridi said.
“I don’t want them to needlessly spend two decades doing something they didn’t deserve and dedicate a huge chunk of their life to something they’re not particularly good at,” he added.