On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) expressed disappointment at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) decision to suspend its captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for four matches as he passed racist comments on a South African all-rounder, Andile Phehlukwayo during an ODI match in Durban.
The PCB reckons that the matter could’ve resolved amicably after Sarfaraz issued an apology to Phehlukwayo. However, on Sunday, ICC announced 4-match suspension for Sarfraz for his racist comments against Andile Phehlukwayo during the second ODI on January 22.
After the ICC announced its decision, the PCB issued a statement expressing surprise at the ban imposed on Sarfaraz.
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PCB’s statement read: “The PCB notes the ICC decision on Sarfaraz Ahmed with its utmost disappointment. PCB had anticipated that the matter had been resolved amicably between the two players and the two Boards following Sarafraz Ahmed’s public apologies, which were accepted by the player, the Board and South Africa cricket team. The PCB will be pursuing this matter at the ICC forums with the objective to bring reforms to the Code, promoting amicable resolutions to issues as opposed to penalties. Having said that, the PCB reiterates its zero-tolerance approach towards the racist comments and behavior.”
The PCB has called back Safraz home immediately from South Africa. Last week he was heard on stump microphone of making racist remarks directed at Andile Phehlukwayo.
The Pakistan skipper said, “Abey kaalay, teri ammi aaj kahan baitheen hain? Kya parhwa ke aya hai aaj tu?(Hey black (man), where is your mother sitting? What prayer did you get her to say for you today)?”
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Shoaib Malik will be leading the team in the remaining ODIs and T20 internationals while Mohammad Rizwan has been included in the T20I side. It has also been reported that PCB wasn’t expecting Sarfraz’s suspension as the named him as the skipper for the T20I series against South Africa, beginning on February 6.
One of the PCB officials said, “We were not aware of what penalty the ICC would impose on him and when. There was some doubt if Sarfaraz would face a ban after he had apologized publicly and in person to the South Africa players including Andile Phehlukwayo.”
Sarfaraz has become the first Pakistani cricketer to be penalized by the ICC under its anti-racism code. Some of the reported gave also suggested that ICC was considering banning him for eight matches but took into account his prompt apology and the report of the match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
According to media reports, Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq and South African players Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir had played major roles in diffusing the situation. Inzamam and the PCB directed Sarfaraz to immediately issue a public apology. Inzamam, Amla, and Tahir arranged the meeting between Sarfaraz and Phehlukwayo in which the Pakistan skipper extended his apologies and insisted it was unintentional.
