Misbah-ul-Haq did ten push-ups after hitting his 10th Test hundred – first at Lord’s. (Source: Reuters)
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has barred the players from doing push-ups or press-ups after wins with the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee raising the issue post their 133 run win against West Indies in Abu Dhabi. The win also sealed an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. PCB chief Najam Sethi confirmed to the National Assembly committee that the players would now not celebrate in the said manner.
Lawmakers had raised questions over the team’s celebrations at Lord’s against England and then Azahr Ali against West Indies after scoring 300.
However the theme started with Misbah-ul-Haq performing push-ups at Lord’s in the first Test against England after scoring a century and the team followed that up with a collective effort at the winning mark.
“Who were Misbah-ul-Haq and other players giving a message to by doing push-ups?,” Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Rana Muhammad Afzal was reported to have asked. He further wondered why the push-ups were done only after the win and not after losses – if they were indeed a show of fitness by the team.
Another PML-N MNA, Chaudhary Nazeer Ahmad believed “it would have been better if the players offered nawafil (special prayers) instead of doing press-ups on the victory,” the report claimed.
Sethi said the activity has been stopped with the players trying to show their improved fitness since a pre-tour camp with the Pakistan Army. The team was pushed to conduct themselves better physically with the team not in the best of physical conditions.
Misbah said the unique celebrations were a mark of respect and promise to the Army. “That was my promise to the army guys,” he had said at the post-match press conference.
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