Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Shahid Afridi’s comment ascribing India’s success in cricket to a meat diet has drawn a lot of flak. “India has a huge 1.4 billion population, and the quality of cricket has changed [over the years]. Back then we used to say that they are producing great batters while Pakistan is creating good bowlers … However, their bowlers have now started eating meat, so they have gained strength,” Afridi was quoted as saying in a Pakistani sports show, according to reports.
SILLY REMARK
Seventy-two-year-old former fast bowler Karsan Ghavri was one of the first to speak out against the comment. “It is a stupid statement by Afridi. Vegetarians can have equal strength. Individuals might choose to be veg or nonvegetarian. Many medals have been won by Indian athletes at the Asian Games, and many of them are vegetarians,” says Ghavri, who took 109 wickets in 39 Tests, 15 in 19 ODIs.
It is commonly said that cricketers must consume meat to get the required protein for physically demanding games. But meat is not the primary source of protein for every cricketer. In fact, several members of the Indian team, like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Hardik Pandya, have adopt a vegetarian diet, proving that it is possible to be successful on the field without being a non-vegetarian. Kohli admitted to being a vegetarian on Twitter, adding, “The biggest myth in the world is that non-meat eaters cannot be muscular.”
IGNORANCE OF NUTRITION
Aradhana Sharma, High Performance Sports Nutritionist, says Afridi’s comment stems from ignorance and what appears to be a lack of nutrition education. “The body will rely on protein (referred to meat) if you don’t eat your rice, chapati, fruits or cereal. However, protein alone won’t be working to build muscles and strength. So one must ensure they get a balanced diet and focus on vitamin and mineral supplements in addition to carbs, protein and fats,” she explains. “Cricketers need sufficient carbohydrates as well as enough protein and good fats, given the demanding nature of the game today,” she adds.
