ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani cricketer Abdul Razzaq on Tuesday apologized to Indian actress Aishwarya Rai Bachan for derogatory comments he had made about her during a recent press conference, calling it a “slip of the tongue.”
Razzaq has been under fire this week for the comments made while talking about the Pakistan cricket team after its exit from the World Cup in India.
Pakistan crashed out of the World Cup following a 93-run defeat against England in Kolkata on Saturday, failing to reach the semifinals with five defeats and four wins.
Skipper Babar Azam and Pakistan’s team director Mickey Arthur are under fire for the poor show of a team which was ranked as the world’s top ODI side before the tournament. This is the fifth time in the last six World Cups that Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals.
“If one marries Aishwarya with the intention of having pious kids, it is not possible,” Razzaq had said while speaking about the team’s flop performance.
The remarks drew widespread condemnation from cricketers and fans of the game and the actor.
In a video message on Tuesday, Razzaq apologized for the comments.
“It was a slip of the tongue, I had to give another example but I took Aishwarya Rai jee’s name,” he said. “I really apologize and say sorry to her. It was not my intent [to hurt her].”
The winner of the Miss World 1994 pageant, Bachan later established herself as one of the most popular and influential actors and celebrities in India. She has received numerous accolades for her acting and was honored with the Padma Shri by the government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the government of France in 2012.
In the 2000s and 2010s, she was often cited in the media as “the most beautiful woman in the world.”
Rai married actor Abhishek Bachchan in 2007. The couple have one daughter.