PCB calls for action against India for wearing military caps

India cricketers wore camouflage military caps during the third ODI against Australia.

India skipper Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni seen wearing military caps.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has sent a strongly worded letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), calling for action against India for wearing camouflage military caps during the third ODI against Australia.

“We have made our point very strongly to the ICC which now has no doubts or confusion about our intention or stance now on this matter,” Mani told reporters at the National Stadium on Sunday night.

READ | Indian cricketers sport Army camouflage caps, donate match fee to National Defence Fund

“We will be sending another letter to the ICC in next 12 hours after more consultations with our lawyers,” he added.

Mani said that Pakistan’s stance is very clear that cricket must not be used for politics.

“This is the second that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has tried to use cricket for politics. They took permission from ICC for some other purpose and used it to do something else, which is not acceptable,” he said.

Last month, BCCI had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to “sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates” following the Pulwama attack where 40 CRPF jawans were killed in a suicide attack, the responsibility of which was taken by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Recalling the move by India against Pakistan in the ICC and World Cup, Mani said that by indulging in such behaviour for a second time it has hurt its credibility and standing in the cricket world.

Mani said PCB has reminded the ICC about the disciplinary action it took against Imran Tahir and Moin Ali few years back when the players tried to make a political statement on field.

“We want the ICC to take similar sort of action against the Indians.”

As a mark of respect to the CRPF jawans who lost their lives in the Pulawama terrorist attack, Indian cricketers had sported the Army cap in the third ODI and also donated their match fee for the welfare of the families of the martyrs.

However, Pakistan’s foreign and information ministers took exception to the gesture and criticised the Indian team and also urged the PCB to take up the issue with ICC to take punitive action against the Indian players.