The Indian Premier League and controversy seems to go hand in hand. The latest issue to have now lead to a nationwide debate across Pakistan is Pakistani cricketer Misbah-ul-Haq’s association with Bangalore Royal Challengers.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in a fix after allowing Misbah-ul-Haq to play for liquor baron Vijay Mallya-owned Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL as it is in conflict with its policy of discouraging players from associating themselves with alcohol brands.

Mallya owns the United Breweries group, manufacturers of leading alcohol brands in India, and Royal Challenge happens to be the name of a leading spirit brand of the UB group. PCB CEO — Shafqat Naghmi said the board does not encourage its players to promote or endorse alcohol and tobacco products.”Players usually take prior clearance for endorsing or starring in any brand commercials. I am not sure whether Misbah has taken permission for the Royal Challengers and I am also not sure whether he is required to wear or market any brand of the UB group,” Naghmi said.

“But yes we do discourage our players from even sporting logos promoting alcohol or tobacco products,” he admitted. Naghmi said the board would look into the matter. Alcohol consumption is against the tenets of Islam and banned in Pakistan. Even tobacco advertising on television and in sports was banned by the government a few years ago.To complicate matters, the Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss recently said the Bangalore team’s name amounted to surrogate advertising and promoted alcohol. Ramadoss said his ministry would write against the Bangalore team to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for its surrogate advertisement.

Senior Pakistan Journalist — Shahid Hashmi reacted to this move by the PCB and very strongly said that the Board is responsible for this issue and they should have taken a note of the same before the tournament began. He said, “I think the PCB should have taken a note of this matter earlier itself. PCB may take a lenient action because Misbah may not have known about the logo featuring on the jersey of Bangalore Royal Challengers.”

Misbah is the only Pakistani playing in the Bangalore team. Three years ago the PCB in a pre-emptive move to ensure that its players were not required to wear the Johnnie Walker whisky logo during the Super Series in Australia, had taken prior clearance from the International Cricket Council.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Abdul Razzaq were among those who played in the Super Series. Four years ago, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was also taken to court by a Pakistan citizen after he appeared in an advertisement for an Indian alcohol company.Akram was cleared after arguing that he was promoting the company’s cricket gear, and not the alcohol. South African batsman Hashim Amla, a devout Muslim, has also been given permission by his board to not wear the logo of team sponsors Castle Lager because of his religious beliefs.

Source: timesnow.tv