‘No binding on players to attend prize distribution’
COLOMBO: Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has come to the defense of the Indian cricket team after they were criticized in a section of the press here on Tuesday for failing to show up at the prize distribution ceremony held after the game against Pakistan on Sunday night.
The leading English daily “Daily News” said only the appearance of captain Saurav Ganguly at the prize distribution ceremony after India had lost the match by 59 runs was in very poor taste.
“India turned out to be poor losers when the team failed to turn up for the awards distribution at the end of the Asia Cup game against Pakistan which they lost by 59 runs at the Premadasa stadium on Sunday,” the newspaper wrote.
"Their absence from the awards ceremony was quite conspicuous with only captain Saurav Ganguly being present while the rest of the team members were probably sulking inside the dressing room.
It is customary that both teams be present at the awards ceremony at the end of each match. The Pakistan team and other match officials were all present," it wrote.
But Inzamam said the newspaper had got its facts wrong because there was no binding on any team or players by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that the entire team has to attend the awards distribution ceremony after every match.
“No there is no such binding or rule. It is up to the teams what they want to do. Only the captain and manager and if required the man of the match is required to be present at the awards distribution ceremony,” he explained.
The newspaper wrote that the Indian team’s action was in poor taste specially at a time when Jagmohan Dalmiya is the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“I don’t think we should read too much into why the Indian players didn’t come for the awards ceremony. Sometimes they are very tired after an exhausting match and just want to rest. It has happened with us in the past,” the Pakistan skipper said.
He added at times when has lost an important match also the players are very low and disappointed and need time to recover.
India can’t take it that they lost to a better team
