Who asked Rizwan to offer Namaz in the playground ?: Former Pakistani spinner criticizes PCB for filing an ICC complaint regarding the Ahmedabad crowd
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which recently complained to the International Cricket Council (ICC) alleging inappropriate behavior from the Ahmedabad crowd toward Pakistan players during the World Cup match with India at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, has been criticized by former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
A formal objection was also filed by PCB with the cricket governing body regarding the denial of Pakistani journalists’ visas and the lack of a visa policy for Pakistani spectators at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023.
One of the few Hindu players for the Pakistan cricket team, Kaneria, poked fun at the PCB, stating that the board only looks for fault in others.
“Who requested that Pakistani journalist Zainab Abbas talk negatively about Hindus in India? Who requested that Mickey Arthur refer to an ICC event as a BCCI event? Who requested that Rizwan lead the Namaz on the playground? Don’t criticize other people!, Kaneria proclaimed on X (formerly Twitter).
The PCB claimed in a statement posted on their official X account, “The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has lodged another formal protest with the ICC over delays in visas for Pakistani journalists and the absence of a visa policy for Pakistan fans for the ongoing World Cup 2023.”
“The PCB has also filed a complaint regarding inappropriate conduct targeted at the Pakistan squad during the India vs Pakistan match held on 14 October 2023,” it stated.
Videos of Pakistani players being exposed to religiously focused jeers and chanting during the game, which India won easily, were also made public. The crowd was heard screaming “Jai Shri Ram” in one of the footage as Pakistani player Muhammad Rizwan entered the changing room after making a 69-ball 49.
Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, was also jeered by the crowd when addressing at the toss.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, the leader of the DMK, has referred to the fans’ behavior as “unacceptable”. He commented on X, “India is known for its hospitality and sportsmanship. However, the way Pakistani players were treated at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is intolerable and a new low. Sports should bring people from different nations together and promote true brotherhood. It is unacceptable to use it as a vehicle for spreading hatred.
Following the India vs. Pakistan match, Mickey Arthur, the director of the Pakistan cricket team, had also developed a scathing response. The India vs. Pakistan game, he claimed, didn’t feel like an ICC event; instead, it made him think of a BCCI tournament or a bilateral series in India.
“Now, if I said…, I would be lying. To be brutally honest, this did not seem to be an ICC event. It appeared to be a BCCI event and a bilateral series. Mickey Arthur remarked, “I didn’t hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight.”
“Yes, that is a factor, but I won’t utilize it as a justification because, for us, the focus was on the present, the upcoming game, and our strategy to defeat the Indian players tonight,” he continued.
SEE MORE LATEST NEWS :
