An Indian attorney has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take “strict action” against Pakistani batsman Muhammad Rizwan for offering prayers during a World Cup game in Hyderabad earlier this month and dedicating his team’s victory against Sri Lanka last week to the Palestinian people.
On October 6, during Pakistan’s first match against the Netherlands, Rizwan, a wicket-keeper and one of the greatest in limited-overs cricket worldwide, offered prayers. In Pakistan’s subsequent game against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, he scored a century and played a key role in breaking a record against the island nation. He then dedicated the victory to “my brothers and sisters” in Palestine, who are currently facing an unprecedented Israeli assault.
In a written complaint sent to ICC Chair Greg Barclay on October 14th, Indian lawyer Vineet Jindal expressed concerns about the actions of Muhammad Rizwan, who, in the presence of many Indians on the cricket field, publicly performed namaz. Jindal views this act as a deliberate display of his religious beliefs, which he believes contradicts the spirit of sportsmanship. According to Jindal, Muhammad Rizwan’s on-field expression of his religion, combined with his subsequent statement during a press conference where he dedicated his victory to the people of Gaza, further emphasizes his religious and political convictions. Jindal mentioned forwarding the complaint to the cricket boards of Pakistan and India.
Jindal expressed that international sports should promote global friendship, transcending factors such as caste, creed, race, or religion. He’s worried that Rizwan’s actions may undermine this ideal and create conflicts between communities. Consequently, Jindal called for stringent measures to be taken against Muhammad Rizwan, who serves as the wicketkeeper and batsman for the Pakistan Cricket team. It’s worth noting that Jindal had previously filed a complaint against Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas for what he considered “offensive” tweets about Hinduism dating back to 2014. As a result of this complaint, Abbas, who was part of the ICC’s panel of presenters at the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, returned to Pakistan.
Since then, she has expressed regret for her remarks and claimed to have left India due to feeling “intimidated and scared” by the online response. At the same time, Israel’s foreign ministry expressed its appreciation for India’s triumph over Pakistan in the World Cup match on October 14th. They commended this victory, as it prevented Islamabad from potentially associating its win with the “Hamas terrorists.” This tweet was prompted by the display of supportive posters for Israel by many Indian fans in Ahmedabad during the Pakistan-India match. Rizwan also faced criticism from spectators in the stands for his support of Palestinians. The post stated, “We’re pleased that India won the #INDvsPAK match at #CWC23 and that Pakistan was unable to claim victory by associating with #Hamas terrorists.”
- Misleading Video Alters Prime Minister Shehbaz’s Speech Targeting Political Rival, Not His Party - 21/04/2024
- ATC Grants Three-Day Remand for Suspects in Ichhra Bazaar Harassment Case - 19/03/2024
- Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh Lead World in Severe Smog Crisis, Exceeding WHO Guidelines - 19/03/2024
 to take "strict action" against Pakistani batsman Muhammad Rizwan for offering prayers during a World Cup game in Hyderabad earlier this month and dedicating his team's victory against Sri Lanka last week to the Palestinian people.){kind=link}