PCB 'rejects' criticism over players support for Palestinians
Cricket
Says team's expression of solidarity is a personal decision
LAHORE (Web Desk) - On the questions raised by Indian fans and cricket experts over Pakistan cricket team’s firm support and the prayers shared for Palestinians suffering at the hands of Israel, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly said the team's expression of solidarity is a personal decision.
The PCB rejected the objections over players' conduct.
Pakistan team is currently busy participating in the ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup.
However, the critics have asked the ICC — the governing body of the game — whether such moves are allowed in the tournament.
According to sources, the PCB rejected the objections saying: "The team's expression of solidarity is a personal decision."
Pakistan's national team on Wednesday, had posted a picture of the Palestinian flag on their individual X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts to show that they stood in solidarity with Palestine and that they were praying for the people suffering there including children.
Earlier, wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan had dedicated the team's victory over Sri Lanka to his "brothers and sisters in Gaza".
However, Indian fans and cricket experts used the team's support for Palestine to create controversies, claiming that the national team had violated ICC rules.
Sources from PCB added that the team was "allowed to express whatever they wanted to," and that the players "did not violate any code of conduct by the ICC or PCB".
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that at least 3,478 Palestinians had died and over 14,000 more had been injured as a result of Israel's shelling.
Pakistani cricket legends not participating in the team anymore have also showed their support for Palestine.
Pakistan will face Australia tomorrow (Friday) in M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru after a few days of rest.
