Pakistan expect ICC to interfere: The Indian team wearing camouflage caps hasn’t been received well with a couple of Pakistan ministers.
During the third ODI of the ongoing Australia’s tour of India at Ranchi, the Indian cricketers were seen wearing camouflage caps as a tribute to the martyred soldiers of the unfortunate Pulwama attack.
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After India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and chose to field, the Indian players were seen supporting the cap in the first innings. Kohli and wicket-keeper batsman also donned the cap when they were batting against the spinners in the second innings.
In what was considered as a heartening gesture, it seems to have not gone well with a couple of ministers from Pakistan. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi considered that the ICC (International Cricket Council) should have taken notice of the same without Pakistan needing to raise it.
“The world saw that the Indian cricket team wore military caps instead of their own, did ICC not see this? We think that it is the ICC’s responsibility to take notice of this without the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) bringing it up,” Qureshi was quoted as saying by Pakistan media.
Other than Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry took to his Twitter counter to express his opinion. In his tweet, Chaudhry mentioned that whatever happened was more than cricket and accused the Indian team of politicizing cricket. Chaudhry further urged PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to raise a protest. Read Chaudhry’s tweet below:
“It’s just not Cricket”, I hope ICC ll take action for politicising Gentleman’s game … if Indian Cricket team ll not be stopped, Pak Cricket team should wear black bands to remind The World about Indian atrocities in Kashmir… I urge #PCB to lodge formal protest pic.twitter.com/GoCHM9aQqm
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 8, 2019
How Twitter reacted:
Was it a statement only of gratitude, or also of convenience in its timing? @kausheek68 writes on India’s gesture during Ranchi ODI. #INDvAUShttps://t.co/hx33rnLXRa pic.twitter.com/sr0272HDjJ
— CricketNext (@cricketnext) March 9, 2019
As per @HuffPostIndia
-Wearing Army cap by Indian cricket team a dangerous sign
-Honouring Martyrs is CRIMESuch “Librand Jokers” consider abusing India & people’s sentiments is their birthright.
They peddles Break India narrative in name of journalism !https://t.co/SyVu6dLros— Major Surendra Poonia (@MajorPoonia) March 9, 2019
Players should be Messengers of Peace not the Symbols of Warmongering – India’s Cricket Captain Kohli is a good player but a mindless Modi-Bhakt! https://t.co/oWXD4mtno9 via @SkySports
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) March 8, 2019
Does ICC code permit war mongering by a cricket team? #Pakistan #India #IndiaVsAus https://t.co/SjKrTlwDt2
— Waseem Abbasi (@Wabbasi007) March 8, 2019
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