What happened in the studio of Pakistan Television’s Sports Channel on Tuesday night was far from sports journalism. It was nothing but display of complete arrogance by the host of the show Dr Nauman Niaz who had the audacity to tell former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to leave during the live show.
Apart from Shoaib Akhtar, Sir Vivian Richards of West Indies, David Gower of England, Rashid Latif, Azhar Mehmood, Umar Gul and Sana Mir from Pakistan were participating in the special broadcast on the T20 World Cup on PTV Sports as guests.
In the video of the controversy that went viral on social media, it can be seen that Shoaib Akhtar is talking about fast bowler Haris Rauf that he has come forward under Lahore Qalandar’s ‘Players Development Program’. In the same conversation, Nauman Niaz abruptly loses calm and asks Shoaib Akhtar to leave saying “You are being a little rude so I don’t want to say this but if you’re being over-smart then you can go. I am saying this on air.”
When Shoaib Akhtar tried to respond to his rude behavior, Nauman Niaz once again refused to listen and announced a break in the program. So now, is this how we are treating our national heros on our national television?
Shoaib Akhtar resigned and left the studio during the live show like any man with self respect would do. In fact, the way Shoaib Akhtar handled the situation and didn’t lose his calm despite the temper he is known for, is worth a loud applaud. A lot of respect for Shoaib Akhtar but the government should take immediate action against Nauman Niaz.
Dr Nauman Niaz and Shoaib Akhtar had a harsh exchange of words during live PTV transmission. pic.twitter.com/nE0OhhtjIm
— Kamran Malik (@Kamran_KIMS) October 26, 2021
Watch the clip of the conversation and see for yourself if Dr Nauman’s remarks make any sense to you. Even if we leave the debate of which of Shoaib Akhtar and Nauman Niaz is right and which is wrong, what the host of the state channel said is inappropriate go on air for any guest let alone a sports legend.
An inquiry committee has been formed by the PTV to probe into the incident but Dr. Nauman Niaz has still not been taken off air until then. If he was a common anchor, he would have been fired last night and the government might have also arrested him for insulting the national hero.
But Dr Nauman is freely playing with people’s future since many decades. He made his way into PCB using his family background and has also politicized the institution like Pakistan Television. No one till date has even questioned the relevance of his medical qualifications to sports journalism. The show and the foreign experts he hosts are paid from the money of taxpayers.
In his ignorant arrogance, Dr Nauman doesn’t even let those experts speak and has audacity to tell them to leave during a live show. It is right about time when his monopoly over PTV sports is put to an end. As Pakistanis, we should stand united and boycott PTV until Dr Nauman is fired and banned permanently.
Here is what Neelam Aslam has to say about Dr Nauman Niaz.
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