Table of Contents
In a recent viral video, former Pakistan captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram showcased his renowned sense of humor while discussing the challenges Australians face in pronouncing Pakistani names, focusing particularly on the name ‘Fakhar’ in batter Fakhar Zaman‘s case during the recently concluded Australia-Pakistan Test series.
Wasim Akram’s wit on Australian pronunciation
The entertaining clip, shared by Triple M on its X handle, captured Akram playfully teasing Australian commentators for frequently mispronouncing ‘Fakhar.’ He humorously challenged them, saying, “There’s another name you guys mess up as well. Try to pronounce Fakhar.” The comment left Aussie commentators in stitches, highlighting the linguistic differences.
Aussie struggle with ‘Kh’: Akram’s amusing anecdote
Akram further shared an amusing anecdote about his Australian wife, Shaneira, facing difficulty pronouncing ‘K’ in Fakhar’s name. He recounted how Australians struggle with the ‘Kh’ sound, narrating an incident involving his son’s friend named Fakhar, which took Shaneira about two years to pronounce correctly.
“So Shaniera came to Pakistan and my son’s friend’s name was Fakhar. He brought his about 12-year-old friend and he said, ‘This is my friend, Fakhar’. She said, ‘Hang on a minute’. Because Australians can’t pronounce ‘Kh’ in their language, it took her about two years to pronounce his name,”
The entertaining conversation also included a clip featuring former Australian batter Mark Waugh expressing surprise upon learning that the name of a Pakistan cricketer was “Fakhar” [Zaman].
Here’s the video:
Wasim saying 'Fakhar' had JB extremely concerned 😂 pic.twitter.com/IqDr74ts08
— Triple M Cricket (@triplemcricket) January 7, 2024
Also READ: Justin Langer explains why Australia shouldn’t consider Cameron Green as an opener in Test cricket
Akram’s stand against derogatory comments
Akram recently made headlines for addressing a fan who made a derogatory comment about his wife, Shaniera. The former Pakistan speedster had posted a New Year’s greeting picture with his wife on his Instagram handle. Unfortunately, a fan left a disrespectful comment about Shaniera on the post. Unhappy with the comment, Akram publicly called out the individual and responded with a strong reply, defending his wife against any negativity.
