ICC breaks silence, says Team India sought permission to wear military caps
Ranchi : On the raging war of words against Team India's action of playing the third ODI against Australia in Ranchi wearing military caps the world body of cricket – International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally broken the silence. Issuing an official statement, ICC said India were granted permission to wear camouflage military caps in the third rubber as a tribute to the country’s armed forces, a gesture which Pakistan has objected to.
In the third ODI at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi on March 8, the Indian team sported military caps as a mark of respect to the CRPF personnel who were killed in the Pulwama terror attack and donated its match fee to the National Defence Fund.
#TeamIndia will be sporting camouflage caps today as mark of tribute to the loss of lives in Pulwama terror attack and the armed forces
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 8, 2019
And to encourage countrymen to donate to the National Defence Fund for taking care of the education of the dependents of the martyrs #JaiHind pic.twitter.com/fvFxHG20vi
“The BCCI sought permission from the ICC to wear the caps as part of a fundraising drive and in memory of fallen soldiers who have died, which was granted,” ICC’s General Manager Strategic Communications Claire Furlong said in a statement.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had raised a strong objection and had written a letter to the ICC demanding action against the Indian players.
“They took permission from ICC for some other purpose and used it to do something else, which is not acceptable,” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said on Sunday in Karachi.
Former captain MS Dhoni — who was honored with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel himself a few years ago — presented the cap to Virat Kohli and the team after the warm-up at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.
