Published: Aug 16, 2023, 05:54 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 16, 2023, 06:01 PM (IST)
VETERAN cricketer Wasim Akram has lashed out at PCB for sidelining World Cup winning captain Imran Khan from the tribute video they shared on Independence Day. Akram said that PCB should send an unconditional apology to Imran Khan and fans, asking the board to delete the video as soon as possible. Akram requested the PCB to not mix cricket with politics.
Notably, PCB recently shared a tribute video on their social media handles on the occasion of Independence Day where they celebrated the team’s rich history in cricket. The video had many iconic moments from Pakistan’s cricket history, including the World Cup win in 1992, however, the board deliberately did not give Imran Khan even a second of space in the video, creating a massive social media uproar.
“After long flights and hours of transit before reaching Sri Lanka, I got the shock of my life when I watched PCB’s short clip on the history of Pakistan cricket minus the great Imran Khan… political differences apart but Imran Khan is an icon of world cricket and developed Pakistan into a strong unit in his time and gave us a pathway… PCB should delete the video and apologise,” Akram wrote on X.
Earlier, ex-PCB chairman Khaled Mahmood also requested the board to delete the video.
“This video must be withdrawn by the PCB immediately and released again with proper mention of Imran’s contribution to Pakistan cricket,” Mahmood told the “Aaj” channel.
One of the reasons PCB might have hesitated to mention Imran Khan could be because of his role in Pakistan’s politics. Imran Khan after retiring from the game formed a political party Tehreek-e-Insaaf and went on to become the country’s Prime Minister.
After serving four years as Pakistan’s PM, Imran Khan was removed from office after he lost the No-Confidence Motion in Parliament. He was also sentenced to three years in jail and banned for five years from holding any public office after over 150 cases were registered against him.
