Imran Tahir reprimanded for breaching ICC code
South Africa’s Imran Tahir has been reprimanded by the ICC for celebrating a wicket by revealing a tee-shirt under his playing kit with an image of the late Junaid Jamshed, a singer turned religious preacher from Pakistan. The spinner admitted to the offence.
After dismissing Sri Lankan batsman Asela Gunaratne in the second T20I at the Wanderers, Tahir pulled his playing shirt over his head to reveal the image of Jamshed, who died in a Pakistan International Airlines plane crash en route to Islamabad in December.
“Imran Tahir has been reprimanded for displaying a personal message without seeking prior approval from his home board as well as the ICC during the second Twenty20 International against Sri Lanka in Johannesburg,” an ICC statement said.
The regulation states that “Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear, display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment unless approved in advance by both the player or team official's Board and the ICC Cricket Operations Department. Approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political, religious or racial activities or causes.”