Will Pakistan cricket team offer prayer while playing international matches? That's the question raised by some section of cricket fans after seeing a viral video of the team offering Maghrib prayer during a training session at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of their home series against Sri Lanka. (Cricket News)
Reacting to a viral video shared by Australian Twitter personality, Dennis Freedman, some fans broached the idea of individual preferences while others talked about the obligatory nature of namaz.
Here are some reactions:
It's pertinent to mention that during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England, former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the target of Pakistani establishments for wearing a insignia of Indian special forces, forcing the International Cricket Council (ICC) to intervene.
Advertisement
In reaction, Pakistan-born political activist Tarek Fatah took to Twitter and wrote: "The @ICC has no problem with the entire Pakistan cricket team marking territory by praying on the cricket field, denigrating Christians and Jews (part of Muslim ritual prayer) but find insignia on @MSDhoni's gloves inappropriate."
Then, the ICC requested BCCI to remove the symbol from Dhoni’s gloves, and released a statement saying, "The regulations for ICC events do not permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment. In addition to this, the logo also breaches the regulations in relation to what is permitted on wicketkeeper gloves."
Advertisement
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's cricket board on Thursday said it will go ahead with its tour of Pakistan despite fears that players could be the targets of terror attacks during the six-match visit. Sri Lanka Cricket Secretary Mohan de Silva said they received the all-clear from the defence ministry to leave for Pakistan on Tuesday.
Ten senior players opted out of the tour citing security concerns. Sri Lanka has already announced two squads for the three one-day internationals and the three T20 matches.
"We have the green light from the defence ministry," de Silva told AFP.
"The tour is on as we planned. I myself and our office bearers will also be accompanying the team." Reports last week of a possible terror attack were referred to the defence ministry for investigation.
The Sri Lanka team was the target of an attack during a Test match in Pakistan's Lahore in March 2009, with six players injured when gunmen attacked their bus. Six Pakistan policemen and two civilians were killed. Since the attack, a majority of international teams have refused to tour the South Asian country.
Sri Lanka's first match in Lahore after that was one T20 game against Pakistan in October 2017.
