Push-up celebrations were not to disrespect opponents: Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq and his band of merry men made history at the Lord’s Cricket Ground earlier last month when they performed a series of push-up celebrations in a bid to pay respects to their country. While Pakistan is going through turmoil in a political sense, it seemed a wise decision at the time.

However, the celebratory gesture has not gone down all too well with the likes of Mohammad Afzal, a Pakistan-based politician and a politically revered leader of the Muslim League in the country. Afzal added that he most definitely did not believe that the push-ups had anything to do with cricket and that it should not have happened at all.

“The push-ups are not related to cricket,” Afzal said during a standing committee meeting in Islamabad. “What message are Misbah and other players giving to the world by doing push-ups?”

“It should not have happened,” said Misbah when asked about the objection by Afzal. “I think our message was clear that it’s not any disrespect to the opponents or to show anything else. “It’s a gesture to people we worked with (Army trainers) and a promise that we will give tribute to them.”

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However, in spite of the calmness and the kindness the Pakistan skipper has shown over the years, he was having none of it. Although he did very little to speak about it, Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board jumped to his captain’s defense.

“Push-ups are done at the discretion of players,” Sethi said. “Misbah said players can still celebrate in whatever manner they want,” he added.

“It was simple and there was no controversy in our minds,” he said. “It’s (up to) everyone’s discretion, but we know there is no negative thing in our minds. As far as the push-ups, there is no ban from the PCB and any player can celebrate in whatever manner he can, but it should not be disrespect to the game or anyone.”

Turns out that this celebration has been copied quite a number of times by different sets of people from across the world.

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