Gary Lineker reveals he was ‘surprised’ that Balochistani refugee lawyer didn’t like cricket 

Gary Lineker has revealed he was surprised the ‘very smart’ refugee who recently stayed at his £4million home wasn’t a fan of cricket.  

The Match Of The Day host, 59, welcomed the student into his Surrey home through the charity Refugees At Home in August, after he was criticised for ‘virtue signalling’ when he publicised the plight of migrants.

Rasheed, from the mountainous Balochistan region which straddles Pakistan and Iran, lived with the former England and Leicester ace for 20 days while studying a law course. 

But he showed no interest in football and was not ‘overly keen’ on cricket either. 

Appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live, Lineker said: ‘I didn’t know what I expected but he was exceptionally polite, helpful in his time.    

‘He was mostly studying. Obviously some days it was difficult to get to his university.’ 

Asked by host Emma Barnett whether Rasheed had liked football, he replied: ‘No, not really. I watched a couple of games with him and I was trying to explain the laws and stuff.

‘I don’t understand most of them myself most of the time with VAR these days.

‘And actually, he wasn’t even overly keen on cricket, which I thought he probably would be. We are, so we watch a lot of that.’

Lineker said Rasheed had been ‘warned to a degree’ that his host was ‘known in the public eye’.

He added: ‘He did after a little while [say] “Oh yes, I Googled you”, so he probably knew too much.’  

In recent months the Home Office has come under scrutiny over the numbers of migrants crossing the Channel to reach the UK.

Lineker has been critical of the Government’s response, describing it as ‘heartless and completely without empathy’.

He told Barnett that Rasheed had come to the UK to continue his law studies and help with the region’s campaign for independence.

He said: ‘He is already a lawyer in his own country but he has fled there because a lot of people every day are going missing in his country for years and years and years.

‘He wants to come here and take his law degree further by going to university.

‘He was a very smart guy, he has got a motive in life and he wants to go back and, as he describes it, free his people.’

Lineker recently shared a thank-you note he was given by Rasheed after he left the former footballer’s house, where he had been staying alongside Lineker’s sons George, Harry, Tobias and Angus. 

The letter said: ‘I can never forget your hospitality, love and company that you and your lovely respectful children gave to me.

‘There is a saying in Balochi language, that if you give me a glass of water, I owe you in my entire life. In fact you did more.’ 

Speaking about the experience in October, Lineker said: ‘It’s been fascinating and a real education for my boys as well.

‘Because obviously they’re privileged – they know they’re privileged – but then to hear this guy’s story.

‘And he was brilliant with them. I’ll definitely do it again.’

In Lineker’s interview with GQ HEROES in association with BMW, he added: ‘The strange argument was “Why don’t you have them in your house, then?”.

‘Having had that constantly thrown at me for years, I thought, “Why wouldn’t I?” My kids are all grown up now, they’re all in their twenties.’ 

In August, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson, 53, slammed the former footballer for discussing the record number of migrants who have arrived in the UK on boats this year.

Lineker has also found himself criticised over claims of bias on his Twitter feed.

Two months ago, he was critical of the Government over its handling of refugees trying to get to the UK.

He posted an article entitled ‘Boris Johnson hints at law change to help deport migrants who cross channel’.

The sportsman added: ‘Can we make it clear that not everyone in this country is heartless and completely without empathy.

‘These poor people deserve the help of their fellow human beings.’