AERIAL VIEW
Vineet Jindal, a prominent advocate in the Supreme Court of India, took it upon himself to address what he perceived as a breach of sporting etiquette. In a formal complaint addressed to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jindal expressed his concerns regarding Rizwan’s on-field prayer. His letter highlighted the act as something that ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’
Jindal’s assertion is clear: the act of offering prayers in the midst of a competitive cricket match, especially in a country as diverse as India, was perceived as symbolic of a deliberate display of his religious beliefs.
SURAJ NANDREKAR
Editor, Goemkarponn
The ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 has been an exhilarating spectacle, showcasing remarkable cricketing talent from around the world. However, amidst the action and excitement, a controversy has emerged that has captured the attention of cricket enthusiasts and the general public alike.
The controversy centers around Pakistan’s star keeper-batter, Mohammad Rizwan, and his decision to offer prayers (namaz) on the cricket field during a match against the Netherlands.
This act has ignited a fiery debate, raising questions about the spirit of the game and the intersection of religion and sports.
Vineet Jindal, a prominent advocate in the Supreme Court of India, took it upon himself to address what he perceived as a breach of sporting etiquette. In a formal complaint addressed to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Jindal expressed his concerns regarding Rizwan’s on-field prayer. His letter highlighted the act as something that ‘raises questions about the spirit of the game.’
Jindal’s assertion is clear: the act of offering prayers in the midst of a competitive cricket match, especially in a country as diverse as India, was perceived as symbolic of a deliberate display of his religious beliefs.
The complaint didn’t just stop at pointing out the act; it delved into the possible motivations behind Rizwan’s decision. Jindal questioned the ideology that propelled him to perform this act on the cricket field, a space that is usually reserved for sporting competition and adherence to established norms.
Notably, Rizwan had faced a similar controversy in 2021 when he offered namaz on the cricket ground during the ICC T20 World Cup ‘Super 12’ game, where Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets. His actions at that time praised by some, including former Pakistan pace bowler Waqar Younis, who said, “What I liked most is what Rizwan did. He stood in the middle of the ground and read the prayers in front of the Hindus.”
This incident sparked discussion as Rizwan’s act seen as a public display of his faith in front of a diverse and international audience.
Secondly, Muhammad Rizwan dedicated WC match win to Gaza residents and this why ICC, BCCI must take stern action against the Pakistani cricketer
Rizwan’s tweet was in brazen violation of the code of conduct drawn up by the ICC, which has strict rules for cricketers indulging in making political and religious statements.
In fact, in World Cup 2019, the ICC had objected to something as benign as wearing wicket-keeping gloves with Indian Army insignia and had asked former Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to remove them.
In 2014, the ICC banned English cricketer Moeen Ali from wearing “Save Gaza” and “Free Palestine” wristbands while playing for England. “The ICC equipment and clothing regulations do not permit the display of messages that relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes during an international match. Moeen Ali was told by the match referee that while he is free to express his views on such causes away from the cricket field, he is not permitted to wear the wristbands on the field of play and warned not to wear the bands again during an international match,” the statement issued by the apex cricketing body said.
By the same token, the ICC should also issue a statement expressing its disapproval of Rizwan’s statement supporting Hamas and ask the Pakistan Cricket Board to get its player to recant his tweet that seeks to glorify the egregious terror attacks carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians, including elderly, women, and children, many of whom were found dead with their heads chopped off.
The BCCI should also take note of Rizwan’s comment and ensure that foreign cricketers who have come to India for the 2023 World Cup don’t end up exploiting the cricketing platform to peddle individual agendas and express sympathy for terrorists who killed hundreds of civilians in Israel. The Indian government should also step in and convey to the Pakistan Cricket Board that their cricketers must refrain from politicising the sport while being in India for an ICC event. Rizwan should be made to apologise for politicising the World Cup and asked to pull down his post.
Above everything else, Rizwan’s tweet expressing solidarity with the Hamas terrorists exposes the banal tropes that former Pakistani cricketers and Pakistani journalists resort to while arguing for restoring a bilateral cricketing relationship with India.
They keep harping about keeping politics and cricket apart, but the latest post by Rizwan betrays their underlying sentiments: Ummah above everything else. From former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, who had said a cricket match against India to him was jihad, similarly, decades later, for the current crop of Pakistani cricketers too, cricket only seems to be a platform to perpetuate their religious supremacism and “common brotherhood”, which apparently entails sympathising with terrorists.
