Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan once again offered namaz on the ground during a World Cup 2023 match against England at Eden Gardens on Saturday. He offered the namaz during the drinks break.
This isn’t the first instance when Rizwan offered namaz during a cricket match. Earlier, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, he also prayed on the ground during the match between Pakistan and Netherlands.
Complaint against Mohammad Rizwan for offering namaz at Hyderabad Stadium
Previously, Vineet Jindal, an advocate of the Supreme Court of India, filed a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Mohammad Rizwan for his on-ground namaz.
In his complaint, Jindal alleged, “The act of Mohammad Rizwan when he read namaz on the cricket field amid many Indians is symbolic of the intentional depiction of his religion which stands against the spirit of the sports.”
The complaint further stated, “The act of representation of his religion by Mohammad Rizwan in the field and further followed by his statement in his press conference regarding the dedication of his victory to the people of Gaza further attests to his religious and political ideology.”
Pakistan’s embarrassing defeat against England
Pakistan’s slim hopes of reaching the semi-finals were shattered as soon as England batted first and scored 337 runs for nine wickets in 50 overs.
In response, Pakistan only managed to score 244 runs in 43.3 overs, with their batters struggling to read Adil Rashid’s googlies (2/55 in 10 overs) and handle David Willey’s incisive swinging deliveries (3/56 in 10 overs).
Once again, the mainstays of the Pakistani batting lineup, Babar (38 off 45 balls) and Mohammad Rizwan (36 off 51 balls), found it challenging to gain momentum.
Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals were nonexistent, even if their batters had hit 40 consecutive sixes in 6.4 overs, as they would not have surpassed England’s total and overtaken New Zealand on net run rate.
