Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned cricket team players from performing push-ups celebration after lawmakers raised objections to it during a session of National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination. The meeting that took place here on Wednesday with Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan in the chair, Rana Muhammad Afzal of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), raised questions on push-ups by cricket players to celebrate their victory after winning a match.
"What is this when the team wins there are push-ups celebrations, but they remain silent after defeat?" he questioned. He asked Najam Aziz Sethi, PCB executive committee chief, that whom these players such as Misbahul Haq and others want to give messages through push-ups. Another ruling party MNA Chaudhry Nazeer Ahmad plainly stated that instead of doing push-ups, the players should offer Nawafils.
Najam Sethi assured the committee that players would not celebrate victories with push-ups any more, adding Misbah had performed the push-ups to show off his fitness after completing a century, which was later followed by other players. The push-ups were first performed by skipper Misbah-ul-Haq when he completed his century on the opening day of the first test match against England in July, and the gesture was repeated by entire team upon their victory at Lord's.
Sathi told the committee that the players had done push-ups following their pre-tour boot camp with the Pakistan Army but "this activity has been stopped now" Sathi said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had tasked him to bring foreign cricket teams to Pakistan. He said that when he had made arrangements to bring Ireland cricket time in Pakistan for playing matches. He said that he talked with Chief Minister Shahbaz Shairf after making security arrangements. The Chief Minister supported it. But when he held meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and informed him about these arrangements. He said that the Prime Minister astonished and said what will the security of Ireland team. "The Prime Minister told me that you do not know much secret information. After some days, the incident of terrorism occurred in Karachi, he said.
Sethi said that talks are underway with six-seven teams, but Pakistan was not being supported by the foreign cricket players associations. According to Sethi, the insurance rate for international players was extremely high, which Pakistan was not capable of paying. The matters relating to Pakistan Super League also came under discussion. The members showed keen interest in holding cricket series in the country but Sethi responded that the law and order situation in the country does not allow for international cricket. However, they have a close contact with some country for playing matches which will be arranged after the improvement of law and order situation.
The matter relating to the budget and administration of Cricket Board were also discussed. Sethi said that some members of Cricket Board including the chairman had not drawn any perks/privileges at the present. The committee recommended that internal audit system of Pakistan Cricket Board may be strengthening. It said that an in-camera meeting over the affairs of Cricket Board may also be convened at PCB Headquarters.