Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin demand action against U-19 players
India failed to win their record-extending ICC U-19 World Cup title as they were outplayed by Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the final was marred by another controversy after the players from the sides were involved in an on-field brawl following the match. While ICC has imposed sanctions on five players, former Indian legends Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin want BCCI to take further actions. Here's more.
It all happened following the conclusion of the match, as Bangladeshi players ran out in the middle to celebrate their victory. As per reports, certain Bangladeshi players were accused of saying something immoral to the Indian players, leading to a scuffle between the two. A Bangladeshi flag was also damaged in the process. However, the captains and umpires intervened to restore the order.
Speaking on the incident, Dev said that the U-19 Indian players disrespected the sport, as the youngsters need to be taught a lesson. "I welcome aggression. But, it has to be controlled aggression. You can't cross the line of decency in the name of being competitive. I would say it was unacceptable that youngsters put up such an obnoxious display," Dev told The Hindu.
"I would take action against the errant Under 19 players, but I also want to know what role has the support staff played in educating these youngsters. Act now before it is too late. The players have to be disciplined," said Azharuddin.
Meanwhile, fellow former Indian captain Bishan Singh Bedi, too, lashed out at the Indians for behaving rudely, besides stating that the players lacked their innocence at this age. "Look, what Bangladesh do is their problem, what our boys do is our problem. You could see that there was the abusive language used," he was quoted as saying by Mid-day.
Meanwhile, the ICC has sanctioned five players for breaching conduct. Three Bangladeshi players, Md. Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan, along with a couple of Indians, Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi, have been charged with a code violation. The players were found guilty of breaching ICC's Article 2.21, while Bishnoi was also charged for violating Article 2.5.
