In New Delhi, an Indian lawyer has lodged a formal complaint with theInternational Cricket Council (ICC) against Pakistan cricketer MohammadRizwan. The complaint pertains to Rizwan’s on-field prayer duringPakistan’s opening match against the Netherlands in the ICC Men’s ODI WorldCup 2023, which took place in Hyderabad.
Rizwan had previously garnered attention for dedicating his century to thepeople of Gaza following his match-winning performance against Sri Lanka inthe same tournament. This gesture caused a significant stir in the Indianmedia. Nevertheless, the ICC had initially opted not to take any actionagainst the Pakistan wicketkeeper, as they viewed it as a personal actionoutside the boundaries of the playing field.
However, Vineet Jindal, a Supreme Court advocate in India, has now taken itupon himself to file a fresh complaint with the ICC. In his complaint, heurges the governing body to impose strict measures against Rizwan for hison-field prayer during the match against the Netherlands in Hyderabad.
Jindal’s complaint argues that Rizwan’s on-field prayer raises concernsabout the integrity of the game and questions the player’s ideologicalstance while participating in a cricket match. Jindal asserts that Rizwan’sact of publicly displaying his religion on the field suggests a deliberateintent to convey his religious identity, which goes against the spirit ofsportsmanship.
Rizwan was observed offering prayers while his teammates awaited drinksduring a break in the match.
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The lawyer further emphasizes that Rizwan’s public representation of hisreligion is reinforced by statements he made during a press conference,where he dedicated his victory to the people of Gaza. According to Jindal,these actions and statements underscore Rizwan’s religious and politicalideology.
It’s important to note that Vineet Jindal had previously filed a complaintagainst Pakistani presenter Zainab Abbas, accusing her of making”anti-Hindu” statements. This led to her departure from India and an issuedapology.