PCB faces backlash for Azam Khan's controversial fine

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faces backlash from the netizens after Pakistani cricketer Azam Khan’s controversial fine. PCB has fined him 50% of the match fee in the national T-20 tournament.

PCB has imposed such a heavy fine on Azam Khan because he pasted a Palestinian flag sticker on his bat during the match between Karachi Whites and Lahore Blues of the National T-20 Cup.

The match took place in National Stadium in Karachi where he was representing Karachi Whites on Sunday. The umpire asked him to remove the sticker but Azam refused to do so. His act has turned out to be costly with the strict decision of PCB.

Netizens backlash on PCB

The act of PCB has drawn widespread criticism from netizens and furious critics of the PCB decision are running the hashtag Shame on PCB on Twitter X.

A well-known journalist Hamid Mir wrote will PCB tell when it became a crime to put the flag of Palestine on the crick bat in Pakistan? Those who fined Azam Khan for flying the Palestinian flag on the bat should set an example by firing them from the PCB.

کیا پی سی بی بتائے گی کہ پاکستان میں کرکٹ بیٹ پر فلسطین کا جھنڈا لگانا کب سے جرم ہو گیا؟ بیٹ پر فلسطین کا جھنڈا لگانے پر اعظم خان کو جرمانہ کرنے والوں کو پی سی بی سے فارغ کر کے عبرت کی مثال بنانا چاہئیے pic.twitter.com/827t01jW5p
— Hamid Mir حامد میر (@HamidMirPAK) November 26, 2023

Another condemns the act of PCB while questioning whether are we really living in an Independent Islamic state. He wrote Sorry Palestine, sorry Jinnah, we failed you.

PCB has fined Azam khan 50% of the match fee for using Palestine flag on his bat. Are we really living in independent Islamic state? Sorry Palestine, sorry Jinnah, we failed you. pic.twitter.com/NZ0xT4dEG5
— Meshan Riaz (@meshanrriaz) November 26, 2023

PCB faces backlash for Azam Khan’s controversial fine

Another wrote Shame on PCB. There is no shame in using batting logos and here you are against those players who stand with Palestine civilians.

What is this behavior @TheRealPCB shame on you ,there is no shame for using betting logos and here you are against those players who stands with Palestine civilians#shame #pcb #IsraelTerorrist #AzamKhan pic.twitter.com/vvTRQlulXW
— Toufique Ahmed (@AliToufique3) November 26, 2023

Click here to read why PCB made major changes in the Pakistan Cricket Team after the World Cup 2023

The Rules on PCB imposing a fine on Azam Khan

According to the PCB’s Code of Conduct, cricketers are not allowed to use unapproved stickers on their kits or equipment. They are not allowed to exhibit religious or political message stickers during matches.

In this regard, PCB has fined Azam Khan for violating the code of conduct of PCB. Before Azam, PCB also asked Pakistani batter Muhammad Rizwan to delete his tweet in support of Gaza on making his outstanding 113 runs against Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup 2023 tournament. He dedicated his win to the people of Gaza by doing a tweet.

The recent acts of Pakistani cricketers are to express solidarity with the people of Gaza in response to the attacks of Israel on Gaza. However, the PCB has not allowed it.