Pakistan's opening batter Mohammad Rizwan finds himself at the heart of a legal case registered in India. Advocate Vineet Jindal has filed a complaint against Rizwan for conducting Namaz (prayer) on the cricket pitch during the match against the Netherlands. This incident occurred during the innings break, with the entire stadium witnessing Rizwan's actions.
This isn't the first time Rizwan has engaged in such behaviour on the cricket field.
A complaint has been formally lodged with the ICC, highlighting concerns over religious displays during cricket matches. Previously, Rizwan had attracted criticism for a similar act during a T20I match against India, provoking the ire of Indian fans who suggested that religious observances should occur privately. Despite the prior controversy, Rizwan repeated the gesture during the ODI World Cup.
Notably, Rizwan's religious displays extended beyond the cricket field, with an instance of him offering Namaz among the public in the United States this year, drawing significant online trolling. Vineet Jindal's complaint has now reached the attention of both the BCCI and PCB, further escalating the issue to the international cricket governing body, the ICC.
In a separate incident, following Pakistan's victory over Sri Lanka, Rizwan made a significant statement. He had scored an unbeaten century, amassing 131 runs, and took to Twitter to dedicate the victory to "our brothers and sisters in Gaza."
Rizwan expressed his gratitude to the entire team, particularly Abdullah Shafique and Hasan Ali, while acknowledging the warm welcome and support from the people of Hyderabad.
In the match between India and Pakistan, Rizwan managed to score 49 runs before being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. This was after a brilliant partnership between Rizwan and Babar Azam, but their wicket led to a Pakistan collapse, with the side being bowled out for 191.
In the second innings, Rohit Sharma's outstanding knock of 86 played a pivotal role in India clinching a convincing win. This defeat represents Pakistan's inaugural setback in the 2023 World Cup, after securing victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. Pakistan's upcoming challenge is a match against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
'My blood pressure has risen...I will create ruckus outside stadium if...': Pakistan superfan Bashir Chacha warns officials ahead of India vs Pakistan match
'He repaid my faith' — After win over England, Hashmatullah Shahidi heaps credit on one player and it's NOT Rashid Khan!
