No Beer Logo for Australian Muslim Cricketer
Spin bowler Fawad Ahmed will not have to wear a beer company logo on his Australia uniform because of his Muslim faith, the sport's managing body in the country has confirmed.
Ahmed, who left Pakistan in 2009 to seek asylum in Australia and gained citizenship in July, was picked for Australia's five-match limited-overs series in England after he made his debut in the Twenty 20 series last week
He was quoted by Fairfax Media from England on Tuesday as having "expressed discomfort'' about wearing the logo because, on religious grounds, he does not associate with alcohol.
Cricket Australia's operations manager Mike McKenna says CA was "respectful of Fawad's personal beliefs'' and agreed to his request to wear an unbranded shirt.
Australian Cricketers' Association chief executive Paul Marsh told the country's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper that the sport's authorities would have weighed the decision carefully.
''They would have thought about the precedent it could set," Marsh said. "But I commend them...for taking an approach that allowed the player to not contravene his personal beliefs.''
Marsh told the newspaper that, ''if a player has reasonable personal or professional objection…they would allow the player to be exempt. That's what has been extended to Fawad. They came to a very reasonable agreement.''
Source: Al-Jazeera
