Kapil, Azharuddin for strict action against 'unruly' India U-19 boys

Published : 12 Feb 2020, 15:33

Sahos Desk

After the U19 World Cup final was marred by an ugly fight between the cricketers from India and Bangladesh, former India captains Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin have called for 'strict action' to be taken against the cricketers who let their emotions get the better of themselves as they were beaten by their opponents.

After Bangladesh won the final beating India by three wickets (via DLS) at the Senwes Park on Sunday, the players of the two teams were seen engaging in an exchange of words and even some pushing and shoving on the field.

"I would take action against the errant Under 19 players but I also want to know what role has the support staff played in educating these youngsters. Act now before it is too late. The players have to be disciplined," Mohammad Azharuddin was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

World cup-winning captain Kapil Dev also concurred with Azhar on the issue and called on the BCCI to set an example by punishing the players.

"I would like to see the Board take some strict action against the players to set an example. Cricket is not about abusing the opponent. I am sure there is enough reason for these youngsters to be dealt with firmly by BCCI," said Kapil.

"I welcome aggression. Nothing wrong in it. But it has to be controlled aggression. You can’t cross the line of decency in the name of being competitive. I would say it was unacceptable that youngsters put up such an obnoxious display on the cricket field," added Kapil.

Earlier, Bishan Singh Bedi also had come down heavily on the poor behaviour displayed by the young cricketers.

"You bat, bowl and field badly, it happens, but there's no excuse for behaving badly. The behaviour at the Under 19 World Cup final was disgusting and most disgraceful. The innocence of that age was not visible at all," Bedi had told Mid Day.

Bedi, who represented India in 67 Tests and 10 ODIs, said the behaviour of the Bangladesh cricketers is not our problem.

"Look, what Bangladesh do is their problem, what our boys do is our problem. You could see that there was abusive language used," he said.

On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) sanctioned five players, including three from Bangladesh and two from India.

Source:India Today

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