Pakistan Batter Fined For Palestine Flag On Bat, PCB Intervenes

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken a U-turn on its decision to impose a fine on batter Azam Khan for displaying the Palestine flag on his bat during a domestic match. As Azam Khan's team Karachi Whites took on Lahore Blues at the National Stadium on Sunday, his bat featured a Palestine flag. Subsequently, a 50% fine on the match fee was imposed on Azam. However, the PCB later reviewed and matter and decided to waive the penalty that was imposed by the match officials.

In a release, the PCB said: "Azam Khan's 50 per cent fine imposed by match officials has been reviewed and waived off by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

The Karachi Whites wicketkeeper-batter was fined 50 percent of his match fee for being found guilty of committing a level-I offence during his side's National T20 Cup 2023-24 match against Lahore Blues at National Bank Stadium, Karachi.

Azam was found to have violated Article 2.4 of the PCB Code of Conduct For Players and Players Support Personnel for repeated failure to comply with the instruction or directive of an Umpire during a Match.

Players and team officials are not permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey personal messages on their equipment unless approved in advance by both player or team official's cricket association and PCB Cricket Operations Department."

According to the ICC code of conduct, "players shall not be allowed to display messages that carry political, religious, or racial activities or causes."

"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