Pakistan has protested against the International Cricket Council's instructions
to its players to speak in English at the post-match presentation ceremonies during
the World Cup.The Pakistan team's media manager, Pervez Mir said that the
ICC had not stopped the players from speaking in Urdu at the press conferences,
but at the post match ceremonies. 
"They (ICC) have said that players should only speak in English at the
post match ceremonies as time is wasted when they speak in Urdu and translation
is done," Mir said.
Mir said the team had protested with the ICC over the new orders to speak in
English at the post match ceremonies.
"We are not happy with the new instructions," Mir said.
The Pakistan management had decided last week that its players
would speak in Urdu in interactions with the media during the World Cup
and Mir would act as the translator.
Their argument was that since some of the players were not proficent in English
at times they were misunderstood and misquoted in the media.
An ICC spokesman said they needed World Cup presentations
to be made in English because of the requirements of the ICC's broadcast partners.
He said ICC wanted to facilitate all teams but certain procedures
had to be followed.
Team sources said ICC had pointed out that Pakistan had signed
the Participating Nations agreement which made it mandatory for their players
to speak in English at the post match ceremonies.
|
