The International Cricket Council (ICC) responded to Pakistan Cricket Board’s claims which suggested that a strong action should be taken against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for letting its team wear military caps.
The ICC in a statement said that BCCI was granted permission to wear Army caps in the third ODI against Australia in Ranchi as a tribute to their armed forces. “The BCCI sought permission from the ICC to wear the caps as part of a fundraising drive and in memory of fallen soldiers who have died, which was granted,” ICC's General Manager Strategic Communications Claire Furlong said in a statement.
The Indian cricket team wore the Army caps bearing BCCI’s logo to pay tribute to the slain soldiers in Pulwama attack. The team also donated their match fee to the families of killed CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) jawans. PCB chairman Ehsan Mani, speaking to reporters asked ICC to take strong action against BCCI for involving politics into sports.
The BCCI’s decision of wearing military caps came after a CRPF convoy of 78 vehicles carrying 2,547 soldiers was attacked by a car bomb in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14. More than 40 CRPF jawans were killed and many others were injured. This was termed as the worst attack on Indian soldiers since Uri attack in 2016.
The responsibility of the attack was taken by Pakistan based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed.