The Pakistan Cricket Board has asked wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan to delete his tweet about the victims of Gaza after his match-winning performance against Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup 2023 earlier this month.
Rizwan had dedicated his century against the Lankans to the "brothers and sisters in Gaza" amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group.
Rizwan's controversial tweet
"This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza.
"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 had tweeted on October 11 after guiding Pakistan to a 6-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Match 8 of the tournament in Hyderabad.
Rizwan took to X the very next day to dedicate his knock to the Gaza victims. But he faced backlash from the section of the cricketing fraternity over his gesture on social media.
Pakistan players backing Palestine in conflict with Israel
Several Pakistani players have also been tweeting in support of Palestine in their ongoing conflict against Israel. From Shadab Khan to Haris Rauf, Pakistani players tweeted in solidarity with the victims of the war on X.
An Indian lawyer named Vineet Jain even filed a complaint against Rizwan for offering namaz on the field after the match.
But Rizwan hasn't deleted the tweet.
Pakistan struggling in CWC 2023
Pakistan meanwhile, are struggling in their World Cup campaign after suffering three consecutive defeats against India, Australia and Afghanistan.
The Men in Green have been under fire over their recent performances and need to win the remaining four games to stand a chance of qualifying for the semifinals.
Pakistan have a tough road ahead in the tournament with their upcoming matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and defending champions England therefore, chances of them reaching the semi-finals are very bleak.
