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Smarting from Kohli’s team’s act of wearing army caps post Pulwama terror attack, Pakistan players’ request to retaliate on the field shot down by their PM Imran Khan
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended another olive branch to India by asking his national players at the World Cup in England to ‘stick to cricket’ during the India vs Pakistan match in Manchester on June 16.
A senior official in the Pakistan establishment told Mumbai Mirror that a proposal was sent to Imran’s government that Sarfaraz Ahmed and his team wanted to celebrate India’s wickets ‘differently’ in retaliation to Kohli and Co. wearing army caps during a one-day international against Australia at Ranchi in March.
Skipper Virat Kohli and the rest of Indian squad turned out for the game wearing the camouflage military caps, which had the BCCI’s logo on it, as tribute to the CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14. Pakistan had raised strong objection, saying the Indian team was deviating from sport.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the game’s governing body, has codes for all types of conducts.
The ICC officials said they haven’t received any specific request from the Pakistan Cricket Board, and in case of India wearing the army caps in Ranchi, the BCCI had sought the permission for the same.
The ICC has also asked MS Dhoni to remove the army insignia on his glove, saying it was against its regulations. Dhoni, an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Parachute Regiment of Territorial Army, had the regimental dagger insignia of the para forces embossed on his green wicket-keeping gloves during India’s first match in the tournament, against South Africa.
While it remains to be seen whether Dhoni does remove the insignia during India’s next match, against Australia on Sunday, the muchawaited India vs Pakistan clash was in serious doubt at the height of tension between the two countries post Pulwama. There were calls to boycott the Pakistan match in the World Cup, but now that two teams will indeed clash for the first time since Pulwama, the Pakistan players were keen on some display of aggression, the Pakistani official said.
“Prime Minister Khan has clearly conveyed to the players that they must enjoy the game and not indulge in overt show of political diplomacy or aggression. He is clear that sport should not blend with politics, hence there will not be anything like what the Indian cricket team did recently,” the official said.
This comes on the back of Imran’s government refusing Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s request of leading the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This was the first time in decades that Saeed couldn’t lead Eid prayers at the Qaddafi Stadium, to which he had unhindered access during Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Azha.
The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Ehsan Mani, who was also the International Cricket Council chief a few years ago, all but confirmed his government asking its players to calm down ahead of the India clash.
“We will not resort to what the other party has done,” Mani said. “There could be sporadic celebrations in case of a hundred, like Misbah-ul Haq’s push-ups during the Lord’s Test in 2016 which was a tribute to the army, but nothing different at the fall of a wicket,” he added.
But that’s a big IF. For, Virat and team may well end up doing the celebrating.
Read more at:
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has extended another olive branch to India by asking his national players at the World Cup in England to ‘stick to cricket’ during the India vs Pakistan match in Manchester on June 16.
A senior official in the Pakistan establishment told Mumbai Mirror that a proposal was sent to Imran’s government that Sarfaraz Ahmed and his team wanted to celebrate India’s wickets ‘differently’ in retaliation to Kohli and Co. wearing army caps during a one-day international against Australia at Ranchi in March.
Skipper Virat Kohli and the rest of Indian squad turned out for the game wearing the camouflage military caps, which had the BCCI’s logo on it, as tribute to the CRPF personnel who lost their lives in the Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14. Pakistan had raised strong objection, saying the Indian team was deviating from sport.
The International Cricket Council (ICC), the game’s governing body, has codes for all types of conducts.
The ICC officials said they haven’t received any specific request from the Pakistan Cricket Board, and in case of India wearing the army caps in Ranchi, the BCCI had sought the permission for the same.
The ICC has also asked MS Dhoni to remove the army insignia on his glove, saying it was against its regulations. Dhoni, an honorary lieutenant colonel in the Parachute Regiment of Territorial Army, had the regimental dagger insignia of the para forces embossed on his green wicket-keeping gloves during India’s first match in the tournament, against South Africa.
While it remains to be seen whether Dhoni does remove the insignia during India’s next match, against Australia on Sunday, the muchawaited India vs Pakistan clash was in serious doubt at the height of tension between the two countries post Pulwama. There were calls to boycott the Pakistan match in the World Cup, but now that two teams will indeed clash for the first time since Pulwama, the Pakistan players were keen on some display of aggression, the Pakistani official said.
“Prime Minister Khan has clearly conveyed to the players that they must enjoy the game and not indulge in overt show of political diplomacy or aggression. He is clear that sport should not blend with politics, hence there will not be anything like what the Indian cricket team did recently,” the official said.
This comes on the back of Imran’s government refusing Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s request of leading the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Qaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This was the first time in decades that Saeed couldn’t lead Eid prayers at the Qaddafi Stadium, to which he had unhindered access during Eid-ul Fitr and Eid-ul Azha.
The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Ehsan Mani, who was also the International Cricket Council chief a few years ago, all but confirmed his government asking its players to calm down ahead of the India clash.
“We will not resort to what the other party has done,” Mani said. “There could be sporadic celebrations in case of a hundred, like Misbah-ul Haq’s push-ups during the Lord’s Test in 2016 which was a tribute to the army, but nothing different at the fall of a wicket,” he added.
But that’s a big IF. For, Virat and team may well end up doing the celebrating.
Read more at:
https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
If Major had his way, Misbah would be coach, captain, selector and chairman of pakistan cricket.
