Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed regrets racial slurs at Andile Phehlukwayo; PCB terms it unfortunate

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Karachi, Jan 24: Under fire Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has apologised for his racist comments against South Africa cricketer Andile Phehlukwayo during the second one-day international in Durban on Tuesday (January 22).

Sarfraz took to his Twitter handle to tender his apology following the backlash from all corners for his racial comment against the Protea all-rounder was caught by stumps mic during the match.

"I wish to extend my sincere apologies to any person who may have taken offence from my expression of frustration which was unfortunately caught by the stump mic during yesterday's game against SA. My words were not directed towards anyone in particular and I certainly had no intention of upsetting anyone. I did not even mean for my words to be heard, understood or communicated to the opposing team or the cricket fans. I have in the past and will continue in future to appreciate the camaraderie of my fellow cricketers from across the globe and will always respect and honour them on and off the field," wrote the wicketkeeper-batsman on his Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board also released a statement regretting the incident happened during the 2nd ODI and termed it an unfortunate.

"The PCB expresses regret over the remark made by their captain Sarfraz Ahmed and picked up by the stump mic during the second ODI against South Africa in Durban. The PCB neither endorses nor supports any comments that have the potential to cause offence, and firmly reiterates their zero-tolerance approach towards racist comments made; in whatever context.

"This incident has also highlighted the importance and significance of player education and training at all levels. The PCB endeavours to improve their player education programmes to ensure these types of incidents do not happen again.

"Sarfaraz is one of the most respected cricketers in the world. However, captaining Pakistan is a massive honour and any hurtful remarks by any cricketer, let alone the captain, are not acceptable to the PCB.

"The PCB is confident that this incident will not affect the series, which has been played in great spirit with some excellent performances from both sides. The PCB is also hopeful that the crowds will continue to turn up in big numbers for the remaining matches to support cricket."