The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fined middle-order hitter Azam Khan 50% of his match fees for using a bat with the Palestinian flag on it, and he has been warned that he will be suspended if the practice continues.
The incident occurred during a National T20 Cup match between the Karachi Whites and the Lahore Blues, with Azam playing for the former.
According to ICC's clothing and equipment regulation, "players shall not be allowed to display messages that carry political, religious, or racial activities or causes." These regulations are to be followed in domestic matches as well by all member boards.
According to Geo News, the 25-year-old had the logo on his bat in the past two matches of the tournament too, but wasn't warned by anyone.
“The young batter was fined 50% of his match fees. The batter was earlier warned by the referee not to display the unapproved logo (Palestine's flag) on his bat as it would be a breach of the ICC code of conduct, of which the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is also a signatory," a source close to the board told Geo News.
This comes after Pakistan keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan copped backlash last month for dedicating his match-winning century in the 2023 World Cup clash against Sri Lanka to their 'brothers and sisters in Gaza' amid the ongoing conflict with Israel.
