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A viral claim involving Babar Azam and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has resurfaced, once again raising questions about whether the Pakistan batter actually refused to give an interview to Pathan.
The claim originally circulated during the 2023 ODI World Cup, when social media posts alleged that Babar had rejected an interview request from Irfan Pathan while Pakistan were playing in the tournament.
According to the viral version of the story, Babar allegedly refused to speak with Pathan twice. A further claim suggested that Babar was unhappy with Pathan because of the former India cricketer’s interaction with Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan after Afghanistan’s victory over Pakistan.
However, the story was not backed by credible independent evidence. Later comments from Irfan Pathan himself made it clear that the viral narrative was misleading.
Did Babar Azam Really Refuse Irfan Pathan?
The short answer is there is no reliable evidence that Babar Azam deliberately refused an interview with Irfan Pathan.
The claim gained traction after Pakistan-based journalist Naseem Rajput said on air that Pathan had attempted to interview Babar for Star Sports and that the Pakistan captain had declined the request twice.
The report also alleged that Babar’s decision was connected to Pathan’s public interaction with Rashid Khan following Afghanistan’s win over Pakistan.
But other reports noted that the allegation could not be independently corroborated. The Sporting News reported at the time that there was no confirmation from another reliable source supporting the claim.
Irfan Pathan Called Out the Viral Claim
The controversy resurfaced again in 2024 after a social media user posted a video claiming that Babar had ignored Irfan Pathan during an interview opportunity.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh responded by questioning where Pathan was in the video.
Pathan himself then entered the conversation and dismissed the claim, saying that people were spreading lies to gain reach on social media.
His response was significant because it directly challenged the narrative that he had personally been snubbed by Babar.
NDTV reported that Pathan urged Harbhajan to ignore such posts, arguing that the people behind them were simply seeking attention through false claims.
The Viral Video Added to the Confusion
Part of the confusion came from a video circulating online that appeared to show Babar rejecting an interview.
The problem was that Irfan Pathan was not the interviewer shown in the footage.
That distinction is important. A video showing Babar declining an interview does not automatically prove that he refused an interview request from Pathan.
NDTV’s report on the controversy specifically pointed out that Pathan was not present in the video being shared with the misleading claim.
The episode demonstrates how an old video can be given a new or misleading context when it is reposted on social media.
How the Babar-Irfan Story Spread
The Babar Azam-Irfan Pathan controversy emerged during a highly emotional period of the 2023 World Cup.
Pakistan were under intense pressure after a series of disappointing results, while Babar faced heavy scrutiny over his captaincy and performances.
At the same time, India-Pakistan cricket naturally attracts enormous attention online.
That environment made the alleged interview snub particularly easy to turn into a viral story.
A claim involving two high-profile former and current cricketers from rival cricketing nations can quickly generate thousands of reactions, even when the underlying information has not been verified.
Social Media Made the Claim Bigger
The incident is another example of how misinformation in cricket can spread rapidly.
Once a claim begins circulating, users may share screenshots, short clips or headlines without checking the original source.
In this case, the allegation that Babar had rejected Pathan was repeatedly discussed online despite the absence of solid independent confirmation.
Irfan Pathan’s own response later became an important part of the story because he rejected the narrative rather than confirming that he had been snubbed.
Babar Azam and Irfan Pathan Have Crossed Paths on Cricket Issues
Although the interview story was disputed, Babar and Pathan have certainly been involved in cricket-related discussions over the years.
Pathan has regularly commented on Babar’s performances, Pakistan’s tactics and the team’s struggles in major tournaments.
More recently, during the 2026 T20 World Cup, Pathan criticised the continued comparison between Babar Azam and Virat Kohli following Pakistan’s defeat to India. Babar scored five runs in that match, while Pathan questioned whether Babar had produced an innings comparable to Kohli’s performances in major pressure games.
Those comments are part of normal cricket analysis and should not be confused with the separate, unverified interview-refusal story.
Why the Story Keeps Returning
The Babar Azam-Irfan Pathan interview controversy has continued to resurface because social media often gives old claims a second life.
A video or headline from 2023 can suddenly become viral again when a user’s post attracts attention.
Without context, readers may assume that a resurfaced claim represents a new development.
That is why checking the date, original source and subsequent clarification is particularly important when dealing with viral sports stories.
The Real Story Behind the Alleged Interview Snub
The available reporting points toward a simple conclusion: the claim that Babar Azam deliberately refused an interview with Irfan Pathan was not established as fact.
The original allegation came from a media report, but it was not independently corroborated. Later, when a similar claim resurfaced online, Pathan himself rejected the misinformation and said it was being spread for social-media reach.
Therefore, presenting the incident as a confirmed disagreement between Babar and Pathan would be misleading.
A Lesson for Cricket Fans
The controversy offers a wider lesson for cricket fans.
India-Pakistan cricket already generates intense debate, and social media can amplify rumours far faster than traditional media can verify them.
Fans should therefore be cautious before sharing claims about players, especially when the story involves alleged personal disputes or controversial behaviour.
A short video clip may not contain the full context, while a viral caption may not accurately describe what actually happened.
The claim that Babar Azam refused to give Irfan Pathan an interview was widely circulated during the 2023 ODI World Cup, but it was never reliably established.
Reports at the time said Babar had allegedly rejected Pathan’s request twice, but the story lacked independent confirmation. A later viral video also wrongly suggested that Pathan was the interviewer Babar had ignored.
Irfan Pathan eventually addressed the misinformation himself, saying that people were spreading lies to gain social-media reach.
So, was Babar Azam’s alleged refusal of Irfan Pathan’s interview real?
The evidence does not support treating the viral claim as fact.
What began as an unverified allegation became a major social-media talking point, showing once again how quickly misinformation can spread in the highly charged world of India-Pakistan cricket.
