NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have unleashed a social media storm by backing former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s foundation in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The two countries are bitter rivals and the move touched a raw nerve in India.

Afridi’s appeal for donations to help people affected by the deadly virus in Pakistan has had overwhelming support from leading cricketers.

Harbhajan urged people to contribute in a video message, and called on other cricketers in the two countries to make similar appeals.

“These are testing times, it’s time to look out for each other,” Yuvraj wrote on Twitter in a call for funds.

While Afridi thanked the two, Indian Twitter users reacted with fury at the support for a rival player who has been a vocal critic of India’s handling of the Kashmir dispute.

“Do you have any sense?” wrote one Twitter user. “Lost respect” for Harbhajan Singh, added another. “Sorry guys you lost it.”

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012-13 and have seen a new peak in tensions over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which has been at the centre of two wars between the neighbours since 1947.

Kashmir has been divided between the two since their independence seven decades ago and India frequently accuses Pakistan of organising ‘terrorism’ on its side of the border.

World Cup-winning batsman Yuvraj, who made a return from cancer before finally retiring last year, has also raised money to fight coronavirus through his ‘YouWeCan’ foundation.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2020