The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is in a fix after allowing Misbah-ul-Haq
to play for liquor baron Vijay Mallya-owned Royal Challengers Bangalore
in the IPL as it is in conflict with its policy of discouraging players
from associating themselves with alcohol brands.
Mallya owns the United Breweries group, manufacturers of leading alcohol brands
in India, and Royal Challenge happens to be the name of a leading spirit brand
of the UB group.
PCB CEO Shafqat Naghmi said the board does not encourage its players to promote
or endorse alcohol and tobacco products.
"Players usually take prior clearance for endorsing or starring in any
brand commercials. I am not sure whether Misbah has taken permission for the
Royal Challengers and I am also not sure whether he is required to wear or market
any brand of the UB group," Naghmi said.
"But yes we do discourage our players from even sporting logos promoting
alcohol or tobacco products," he admitted.
Naghmi said the board would look into the matter.
Alcohol consumption is against the tenets of Islam and banned in Pakistan.
Even tobacco advertising on television and in sports was banned by the government
a few years ago.
To complicate matters, the Indian health minister Anbumani Ramadoss recently
said the Bangalore team's name amounted to surrogate advertising and promoted
alcohol.
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