'A Disgrace': Internet Reacts To Ex-Pakistan Cricketer Saeed Anwar's Comment On Working Women

A controversial video of former Pakistani cricketer Saeed Anwar blaming working women for problems in society is going viral. The undated video was shared on X by journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah of BOL Network, a Pakistani TV network. He wrote on X, “It’s 2024 and Cricketer Saeed Anwar thinks women joining the workforce is a ‘game plan’ to destroy society.”

In the clip, Anwar says that he has travelled around the world and seen how, in places like Europe and Australia, people are struggling with drugs and depression. “The state of affairs is so bad that they have to make their women work for money,” the former Pakistan batsman said.

He name-dropped New Zealand cricket team captain Kane Williamson and said that Williamson asked him advice on how to make society better. Anwar also claimed that “Australia’s mayor” told him that their culture had been destroyed after women entered the workforce. The cricketer further said that the divorce rates in Pakistan shot up by 30 per cent within three years, when women started making their own money.

The 55-year-old argued that a financially independent woman has no qualms about leaving her husband because she boasts of running the household by herself. He concludes by saying that this (women’s participation in employment) is a “game plan” to disrupt society.

These comments by Anwar have sparked much outrage. An X user wrote, “His outdated mindset is a disgrace to progress and equality. It’s appalling that in 2024, someone still clings to such archaic beliefs, demeaning women’s contributions to society. Women working isn’t a “game plan,” it’s empowerment and economic necessity.”

Another person wrote, “So this man is essentially saying that you should enslave women, unclip their wings so that they can serve men like pets. And who are these people seeking his advice?”

Saeed Anwar represented Pakistan in international cricket from 1989 to 2003. He played primarily as an opening batsman in both Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs) formats. After losing his young daughter to a prolonged illness, he took a hiatus from cricket and became a highly religious person. He made a comeback in the 2003 World Cup but retired from International cricket in the same year.