Five Cricketers Who Changed Their Religion: There have been many players in the cricket world who changed their religion due to personal belief or family reasons. This decision of some of these players surprised cricket fans around the world. The names of Vinod Kambli of India and Mohammad Yusuf of Pakistan are also included in this list, who have converted their religion. Here we are going to tell about 5 such legendary cricketers, who changed their religion and are still living their lives with faith in that religion.

Those 5 legendary cricketers who changed their religion

1. Mohammad Yousuf – Pakistan

The name of Pakistan’s legendary batsman Yusuf Yohana is the most popular name in this list. Yusuf was born in a Christian family. However, he converted to Islam in 2005 and changed his name to Mohammad Yusuf. In the year 2006, he had set a historic world record of scoring the most runs (1788 runs) in a calendar year of Test cricket.

2. Vinod Kambli – India

Former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli also made a lot of headlines by converting his religion. Kambli was born in a Hindu family, but he converted to Christianity after marrying his Christian friend Andrea. These two have a son, whom they have named Jesus Cristiano. Kambli had said in an interview that he respects all religions, but he has chosen the path of Christianity by adopting his wife’s faith.

3. Tillakaratne Dilshan – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s legendary opening batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was born in a Muslim family and his name was Tuwan Mohammed Dilshan. His father was Muslim and mother Buddhist. After his parents’ separation, Dilshan chose his mother’s faith and left Islam and converted to Buddhism. Only after this he changed his name to Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan.

4. Wayne Parnell – South Africa

South African fast bowler Wayne Parnell converted to Islam in 2011, after which he changed his name to Waleed. However, he remained known in the cricket world by his old name ‘Wayne Parnell’. Parnell had clarified after his conversion that his decision was completely personal and he had studied for a long time for it.

5. Suraj Randiv – Sri Lanka

Former Sri Lankan spin bowler Suraj Randiv also converted his religion. Randiv was born in a Muslim family and his name was Mohammad Marshuk Mohammad Suraj. Later, he converted to Buddhism and changed his name to Suraj Randiv. Presently he lives in Australia and has also settled there.

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The matter of Bangladesh being out of T20 World Cup 2026 is continuously in discussion. Meanwhile, a tweet by former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Yusuf surfaced, on which many questions were raised on social media. Many people have called his claim wrong and misleading. Due to which he is being made fun of on social media.

What did Mohammad Yusuf say?

Mohammad Yusuf wrote on social media platform He claimed that the total viewership of the 10 countries is around 178 million, while Bangladesh alone gives 176 million viewers.

Yusuf said that cricket is a global game and in such a situation, ignoring the security concerns of Bangladesh shows the wrong thinking of the ICC. He also wrote that cricket should not be run by “pressure or influence” but by “rules and principles”.

Why was there criticism on social media?

After this tweet by Yusuf, many fans and journalists raised questions on his figures. People said that viewership figures cannot be calculated directly like this. Many users said that it is wrong to blame ICC without correct facts. For this reason Yusuf was trolled heavily on social media.

Why was Bangladesh excluded?

The ICC has excluded Bangladesh from the T20 World Cup 2026 and included Scotland in its place. The reason for this was that Bangladesh Cricket Board had refused to play in India. The board had cited security reasons. This controversy increased further when an incident related to Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman came to light in the IPL. Bangladesh said that if one player is not safe, then how will the safety of the entire team be decided. However, the ICC clearly said that the IPL incident is a domestic matter and has nothing to do with the security arrangements of the World Cup.

support of pakistan

Pakistan has supported Bangladesh on this issue. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed ICC’s decision wrong and said that the final decision on whether Pakistan will play in the T20 World Cup will be taken by the Government of Pakistan. It is also being said in some reports that options like boycotting the match against India are being considered.

Asia cup 2025: Abhishek Sharma has affected not only Indian fans, but also the veteran players of neighboring Pakistan with his strong performance. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi and great batsman Mohammad Yusuf have praised Abhishek’s batting on Sama TV’s live show. Both believe that Abhishek’s aggressive and fearless batting has given a new strength to the Indian team.

Mohammad Yusuf’s big statement

Mohammad Yusuf praised Abhishek Sharma’s technique and confidence and said that after a long time a batsman has been seen playing so funny. Yuvraj Singh has given him a great coach. Yusuf said, “Abhishek Sharma showed how a first-class cricketer faces international pressure. He was worth watching against world-class bowlers like Pakistan’s fast bowlers, especially the world-class bowlers like Haris Rauf.” Yusuf further said that Abhishek’s batting shows the confidence of the new generation of Indian cricket.

Shahid Afridi also praised fiercely

Shahid Afridi, famous for his controversial statements, also saluted Abhishek’s batting this time. Afridi said, “India has shown a great game in recent matches. The way Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill’s opening pair laid a strong foundation against Pakistan were a big reason for India’s victory.”

Powerplay master

The biggest feature of Abhishek Sharma is his fast start. He adopts aggressive style with the very first ball of the innings, which gives Team India a chance to make a big score in the powerplay. Their fearlessness increases pressure for opposition teams.

Asia cup 2025 ind vs pak: In the Asia Cup 2025, India defeated Pakistan in a group A match. After this defeat, more headlines began to make more than the ground. Indian players refused to join hands with Pakistani players after the match was over. This decision of Team India did not appeal to many former Pakistan cricketers and they started making controversial statements one after the other, but most of these, former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yusuf made the most ruckus and he fell so low that he sat down so much that he was making indecent comments on the Indian captain.

Said on live TV

Pakistani channel Samaa TV attended the live show as Yusuf guest. The theme of debate was India’s victory and ‘No Handshek’ controversy. When he was sought an opinion about Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, he deliberately took his name in a wrong and derogatory manner. Yusuf repeatedly addressed Suryakumar as “Pigumar Yadav”. The anchor of the show asked him to interrupt many times and correct the name, but Joseph showed the same words while stubbornly. His act was called more rude by the audience against the sportsmanship.

Who is Joseph who has an old relationship with controversies

Joseph has been in controversies many times before. In 2016, during a live show, he argued with Rameez Raja and taunted him as a “English teacher”. During a series against India in 2005, his name also came into controversy when he clashed with Sourav Ganguly on the ground and pointed out as “Gate Lost”. That is, his image has already been in controversies.

Reaction of Afridi and other players

Shahid Afridi also gave a statement amidst this entire controversy. He said that India did not show the spirit of the game and the BCCI pressured the players not to join hands with the Pakistani team. Afridi claimed that the ongoing boycott campaign on social media also influenced the decision. At the same time, Rashid Latif and Shoaib Akhtar also accused India of spoiling the game.

India in Super-4, then there may be a collision

The Indian team has hit the entry in Super-4 with this victory. Now Pakistan has to face UAE. If he wins the match, then on September 21, India and Pakistan will be face to face. In such a situation, the current controversy and rhetoric can create a more hot atmosphere in the upcoming match.