The International Cricket Council, ICC, has reportedly refused to take action against Pakistan cricketer Muhammad Rizwan over his tweet dedicating the team’s win over Sri Lanka in the World Cup to the Gaza residents.
Claiming that it is outside the field of play and not within their domain, the ICC added it is up to the individual and the cricket board to act on the situation.
Aaj Tak journalist Vikrant Gupta took to X, a social media platform earlier known as Twitter, to inform that ICC has refused to take action against Muhammad Rizwan.
The @ICC says it’s from outside the field of play, not within their domain.
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 11, 2023
Up to the individual and his cricket board https://t.co/5nc5Fai8eX
Earlier today, Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Rizwan, known for unabashedly demonstrating his religiosity on and off the field, stirred a hornet’s nest after he dedicated the victory over Sri Lanka to Gaza residents. His posts quickly went viral, triggering sharp reactions from several quarters on X, formerly known as Twitter, with many social media users asking for the BCCI and ICC to act against the cricketer for expressing solidarity with the people after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,000 Israelis, including elderly, women, and children.
While the ICC had tried to wash its hand off the issue by claiming that it is outside the field of play, it is worth noting that Muhammad Rizwan is infamous for fusing politics, religion and sports much like several of his countrymen. He recently caught the attention of many when he started offering Namaz on the cricket field during the second half of the match against the Netherlands while his teammates awaited drinks during the break.
Earlier in 2021, Rizwan had offered namaz on the ground. When Babar Azam-led side defeated India by 10 wickets in the ICC T20 World Cup ‘Super 12’ game, former Pakistan pace bowler Waqar Younis expressed his glee and voiced, “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,” after the 31-year-old Muhammad Rizwan had used the cricket match as an opportunity to flaunt his faith in front of millions of viewers.
Hamas Attacks Israel
A surprise attack deemed ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ by Hamas on Israel which combined gunmen raiding Israeli border villages with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza was launched at dawn on 7 October during the Jewish high holiday of Simchat Torah which resulted in the gruesome murder of at least 1000 people including children and elderly while more than 2,000 were wounded.
The terrorists also raped women and abducted hundreds in one of the deadliest attacks in history. Israel then launched ‘Operation Iron Swords’ in retaliation and invoked Article 40 for the first time since the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and officially declared war.
