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England fast bowler Chris Woakes has addressed the controversy surrounding his comment referring to South African allrounder Wiaan Mulder as ‘King Babar’ on social media, clarifying that it was intended purely as a joke and not a slight against former Pakistan captain Babar Azam.
During a recent YouTube podcast with teammate Moeen Ali, Woakes discussed the viral comment after the host inquired about its origin.
He explained that he and Mulder had developed a friendship while playing together in South Africa’s T20 league, which led to some light-hearted banter.
Woakes recounted, “I played with Wiaan in the South African league, and during the Test series in Pakistan, there had been a bit of an exchange between him and Babar Azam.”
He noted that this playful interaction sparked a humorous nickname among fans, who began referring to Mulder as ‘King Babar’ in the comments on his social media posts.
When Woakes commented ‘King Babar’ on one of Mulder’s Instagram photos, he intended it as a friendly joke. “It was all in good fun,” he said, adding that the nickname was a topic of laughter in the dressing room. However, he acknowledged that fans misinterpreted his comment.
“I didn’t mean anything against Babar. The comment was meant in jest, but fans misinterpreted it as a dig at their captain,” Woakes explained. He noted that some fans even began targeting him in the comments, sarcastically calling him ‘King Babar.’
Woakes reiterated that the comment was simply light-hearted banter among friends and was not meant to disrespect anyone. “I completely understand the passion of the fans, but the whole thing was just a misunderstanding,” he concluded, hoping to clear the air regarding the incident.
