In a recent turn of events in the cricketing world, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have found themselves entangled in a controversy involving Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter, Mohammad Rizwan. The issue revolves around a tweet where Rizwan dedicated Pakistan’s World Cup victory over Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza. This seemingly innocent gesture sparked a significant debate and received both praise and criticism from various quarters.
The story begins with a brilliant performance by Mohammad Rizwan on the cricket field. He scored a remarkable hundred against Sri Lanka, helping Pakistan chase down a challenging target of 345 runs. Rizwan’s unbeaten 131 runs off 121 balls, including three sixes and eight boundaries, contributed significantly to Pakistan’s victory, which they achieved with six wickets and 10 balls to spare.
Following Pakistan’s record-breaking victory in Hyderabad, Rizwan took to social media, particularly Twitter, to dedicate his century to the “brothers and sisters in Gaza.” This dedication came amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group, which had garnered global attention.
“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Happy to contribute to the win. Credits to the whole team, and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali, for making it easier. Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout,” Rizwan tweeted on October 11.
This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. 🤲🏼
— Muhammad Rizwan (@iMRizwanPak) October 11, 2023
Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier.
Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.
Rizwan also expressed his gratitude to the people of Hyderabad for their incredible hospitality and support throughout their time in the city. This display of appreciation resonated with many fans and supporters of Pakistan cricket.
However, not everyone received Rizwan’s dedication with open arms. An Indian lawyer named Vineet Jain filed a formal complaint against Rizwan for offering namaz (prayer) on the cricket field. This led to a social media backlash against Rizwan, with some critics deeming his actions inappropriate.
Amidst the growing controversy, reports emerged that both the ICC and BCCI had asked Mohammad Rizwan to remove his tweet dedicating Pakistan’s World Cup victory to the people of Gaza. It seemed that the cricketing authorities were concerned about the potential implications of this gesture in the politically sensitive context of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
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Surprisingly, Rizwan chose not to comply with the requests from the ICC and BCCI. He remained steadfast in his decision to keep the tweet intact, showing his commitment to the message he had conveyed through his dedication.
“The ICC and BCCI had asked Mohammad Rizwan to delete his tweet in which Rizwan dedicated Pakistan’s win against Sri Lanka in the World Cup to the people of Gaza. Rizwan refused to delete his tweet,” a user wrote on Twitter.
This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. 🤲🏼
— Muhammad Rizwan (@iMRizwanPak) October 11, 2023
Happy to contribute in the win. Credits to the whole team and especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier.
Extremely grateful to the people of Hyderabad for the amazing hospitality and support throughout.
Rizwan’s actions were not the only source of discussion during the World Cup. He also made headlines with his outstanding performance on the field. He scored a total of 359 runs in seven innings, maintaining an impressive average of 71.80 and a moderate strike rate of 98.90. His contributions included a century and a half-century in the tournament, making him the leading run-getter for Pakistan in this 10-team marquee event.
