NEW DELHI: A social media post involving Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah sparked a wave of panic among cricket supporters after many mistakenly concluded that the player had died. The confusion quickly spread online, with users posting condolences and sharing the message as evidence, only for it to be later clarified that Rahmat Shah is alive.
How the misunderstanding began
- Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat shared a condolence post on Instagram, attaching Rahmat Shah’s photograph and writing a message in Pashto.
- Once the content circulated, Instagram’s automated translation feature generated an English version of the Pashto text.
- The machine translation incorrectly indicated that Rahmat Shah himself had passed away, which led many fans to react in shock and begin sending messages of sympathy.
The issue was not the original sentiment of Janat’s post, but the accuracy of the automated translation that changed the meaning entirely.
What the incorrect translation said
Instagram’s automated English version claimed: “With great sadness, I heard the news of the passing of Rahmat Shah, the legendary player of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team. This great tragedy has deeply saddened me and all cricket fans. As a cricket player myself, I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to Rahmat Shah and his family. May Allah grant the deceased paradise, lighten his grave, and give his family the patience to bear this immense grief. Indeed, to Allah we belong, and truly, to Him we shall return.”
The correct meaning
That translation was inaccurate. The intended message was a condolence note for the death of Rahmat Shah’s mother, not for the cricketer. The correct translation of Janat’s Pashto post reads: “I heard the news of the death of the respected mother of Rahmat Shah, the talented player of the national cricket team. This great tragedy made me and all cricket fans very sad. On my own behalf and as a cricket player, I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to Rahmat Shah and his respected family. May Allah grant the deceased Paradise, fill her grave with light, and give her family patience to bear this great sorrow. Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.”
With the context restored, the rumours were effectively put to rest: Rahmat Shah remains alive, and the condolence message was directed to his family following the passing of his mother.
Rahmat Shah’s recent and career record
Rahmat Shah’s most recent appearance for Afghanistan in international cricket came in an ODI against Bangladesh in October last year, where he retired hurt during the match.
Over his career, the experienced top-order batter has played 11 Tests, 125 ODIs and one T20I for Afghanistan, accumulating more than 5,000 international runs across formats.
