Bengaluru, February 20: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) removed pictures and memorabilia of Pakistan cricketers which were displayed at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in solidarity with the martyred soldiers during the Pulwama terror attack.
The KSCA move came close on the heel of several other associations and clubs taking similar measures. Recently, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCB), Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) and Cricket Club of India (CCI) of Mumbai had removed pictures of Pakistan cricketers, including former captain and current Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The KSCA had kept in display several photographs of Pakistan cricketers in the stadium and they have been taken away now. Besides Imran, the removed pictures included those of Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, who played his 100th Test in Bengaluru, Wasim Akram, Javed Miandad and former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf. A picture from the 1992 World Cup, which was won by Pakistan under the leadership of Imran in Australia, which was displayed near the main entrance too was removed.
"We have removed all the photographs of Pakistan cricketers from the stadium premises. We have also removed bats signed by Pakistan cricketers as a mark of our solidarity with the armed forces. We are firmly behind our armed forces and express our strong protest against the recent terror attacks in Pulwama," said KSCA spokesman Vinay Mruthyunjaya.