Former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has voiced his strong support for the people of Palestine, expressing deep concern over the ongoing attacks faced by Palestinian Muslims.
On Babar Azam took Palestine to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share a picture of a young girl holding the Palestinian flag and clutching a doll. He accompanied the image with a heartfelt poem.
Last month, during the ICC World Cup 2023, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan dedicated his match-winning knock against Sri Lanka to the people of Gaza.
In a tweet posted on October 11th, a day after his remarkable 131 not out, the highest run chase ever in Cricket World Cup history, Rizwan expressed his solidarity with the Palestinians. He wrote,
“This was for our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Happy to contribute to the win. Credits to the entire team, especially Abdullah Shafique and Hassan Ali for making it easier”
Rizwan also expressed his gratitude to the people of Hyderabad for their warm hospitality and unwavering support throughout the tournament.
However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly asked Rizwan to delete his social media post, citing concerns over potential repercussions from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
When contacted, a PCB spokesperson stated, “The International Cricket Council and the PCB’s legal department are relevant here as I am not privy to this information.”
The armed conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted on October 7, 2023, following a multi-pronged invasion of southern Israel launched by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli military responded with an extensive aerial bombardment campaign targeting Gazan territories, followed by a large-scale ground invasion of Gaza. The fighting has resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and over 11,650 Palestinians, including 4,758 children. The current hostilities mark the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict, which is part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
