Pakistan's Mohammad Irfan celebrates after dismissing England's Alex Hales (not pictured) during play in the fourth one-day international (ODI) cricket match between England and Pakistan at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds, northern England on September 1, 2016. (AFP / Oli Scarff)

Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Irfan confirms he is alive after death hoax circulates

This article is more than one year old.
Published on June 23, 2020 at 10:00
1 min read
By AFP Pakistan

Multiple posts shared repeatedly on Facebook and Twitter in June 2020 claim that famed Pakistani cricket player Mohammad Irfan has died. The claim is false; Irfan confirmed he is alive and urged social media users to stop spreading "baseless fake news".

The claim was published on Facebook here on June 21, 2020.

The Urdu-language post translates to English as: “Breaking news: Pakistan cricket national team fast bowler Mohammad Irfan died after a brief illness. He was suffering from stomach infection. PCB confirmed.”

A screenshot taken on June 22, 2020, of the misleading post by Facebook user InamUllah Pti

The same claim was also made on Facebook here and on Twitter here.

The claim is false.

“I haven't died,” Irfan told AFP by phone on June 21.

In a tweet posted on the same day, Irfan also urged social media users to stop spreading “baseless fake news” about his death.

“This has disturbed my family & friends beyond words, and I have been receiving endless calls on this. Please refrain from such things. There was no accident and we are well,” he added on Twitter.

Some social media outlets have been spreading a baseless fake news about my death in a car accident. This has disturbed my family & friends beyond words, and I have been receiving endless calls on this. Please refrain from such things. There was no accident and we are well.
— Mohammad Irfan (@M_IrfanOfficial) June 21, 2020

AFP also reported on the death hoax here.

Rumours of Irfan’s death circulated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the death of a former deaf national cricketer by the same name. The PCB announced the passing of the other Mohammad Irfan on Twitter here on June 21.

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