Former cricketer Shahid Afridi has clarified that he thought that a recent photograph with a Zionist group happened because he thought it was an ordinary fan interaction.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) after the photo went viral, Afridi said that he was walking down a street in UK when some people asked him for a photo and he obliged.

“Imagine strolling down a street in Manchester (UK) and so-called fans approach you for a selfie. You oblige, and moments later, they upload it as some form of Zionist endorsement,” he wrote.

“Unbelievable! Please don’t believe everything that is uploaded.”

He went on to add that the photo does not signify his support for any situation where ‘human lives are at stake’.

“Seeing innocent lives in Palestine suffer is truly heartbreaking. Thus, any photo or association shared by in Manchester does not reflect my support for any situation where human lives are at stake,” he wrote.

“I take pictures with fans from all over the globe, and this situation was no different,” he said.

Afridi’s statement comes after a group named ‘North West Friends of Israel’ uploaded a photo of Afridi standing with the group’s chair and deputy chair. People holding placards can be seen in the background.

The post claimed that Afridi had lent support for a protest asking for Israeli hostages to be released.

“Pakistani international cricketer @SAfridiOfficial stopped to offer his support for our call to release the hostages at our NWFOI vigil last Sunday in Manchester,” the post said.

“Thank you for your support, Shahid!” it added.

NWFOI describes itself as a ‘grassroots movement’ in north-western UK that advocates Israel.