The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has fined Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan 50% of his match earnings for not following apparel and equipment rules during a National T20 Cup match in Karachi. Azam reportedly told the officials that all of his bats have the same stickers after showing the flag of Palestine on his bat, according to a story in Pakistan’s Geo News. The incident took place on Sunday during the National Stadium game between Azam’s Karachi Whites and Lahore Blues. Scroll down to read Batter Azam Khan Fines 50% of His Match Fees.
Batter Azam Khan Fines 50% Of His Match Fees
50% of the young batter’s match fees were penalized. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which is a signatory to the ICC code of conduct, was informed earlier by the referee that the batter should not wear the unapproved insignia, which is the flag of Palestine, on his bat. A source close to the board notified Geo News of this.
According to the report, Azam allegedly used the same sticker in the previous two games, but the authorities did not notify him or issue a warning to him before Sunday’s game.
The International Cricket Council’s guideline regarding attire and gear states that “players shall not be allowed to display messages that carry political, religious, or racial activities or causes.”
This comes after Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper and batsman for Pakistan, dedicated his team’s historic victory over Sri Lanka in the 2023 Cricket World Cup to the “brothers and sisters in Gaza” in light of the current conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Although Rizwan received a lot of appreciation for his knock, his opinions about the problem did not sit well with social media users. Some readers expressed their opinion that Indian cricket team players would never use such words, while others pointed out that he should focus on his game and not meddle in international politics.
“This was done for our Gaza-based brothers and sisters. I am glad to have helped in the victory. Kudos to Hassan Ali and Abdullah Shafique in particular for making things easy. Extremely appreciative of Hyderabadians’ wonderful hospitality and ongoing support,” Rizwan wrote on X.
The cricket squad of Pakistan is presently preparing for a three-match Test series that will take place against Australia.
In advance of the team’s planned departure for Australia later this week, the PCB has arranged for a training camp for them in Rawalpindi.
