File photo of Imran Khan© X (Twitter)
Cricket Australia decided to step in after a fan was denied entry to the Sheffield Shield final for wearing a T-shirt supporting former Pakistan cricket team captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald, the incident happened on the opening day of the match between South Australia and Victoria. The fan, named Luke Brown, was wearing a “Free Imran Khan” T-shirt but was forced to cover it up in order to gain entry, as authorities believed it was making a political statement. However, Cricket Australia has now announced that the fan will be allowed entry.
“Given the widespread concern in the cricket community for Imran Khan’s welfare, we believe this is a humanitarian issue and will act accordingly,” a CA spokesperson told the Sydney Morning Herald.
While Cricket Australia maintained that the initial decision taken by the security staff was correct, a review of the situation revealed that the treatment of Imran Khan inside the Pakistani jail was viewed as a “humanitarian issue.” In the recent past, there has been widespread concern over Imran Khan’s health in Rawalpindi’s Adiala prison.
Luke Brown said that he was surprised by the authorities stopping him from entering the venue.
“I was surprised. I understand the argument that they have to deal with other situations, so it’s easier for them to apply a blanket rule. They were very nice. I can see why they made that call, but I think it’s the wrong one. The cricket world should be getting behind him,” he said. “It’s up to them how they enforce their rules, but if they’re going to do this, then it puts a bigger onus on them to do more on other fronts to mobilize the cricket public to support Imran Khan,” he added.