NEW DELHI: The national president of All India Muslim Jamaat, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, on Wednesday criticised cricketer Mohammed Shami after a video of him drinking energy drink during the Champions Trophy semi final match against in Australia in UAE, even as the Muslim community is observing Ramzan fasting.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, Razvi stated, “One of the compulsory duties is ‘Roza’ (fasting)…If any healthy man or woman doesn’t observe ‘roza’, they will be a big criminal. A famous cricket personality of India, Mohammed Shami had water or some other beverage during a match.”
Highlighting that Shami was physically fit to play, Razvi further said, “People were watching him. If he is playing, it means he is healthy. In such a condition, he did not observe ‘Roza’ and even had water…This sends a wrong message among people.”
“By not keeping ‘roza’, he has committed a crime. He should not do this. In the eyes of Shariat, he is a criminal. He will have to answer God.”
Shami delivered an impressive performance, conceding only 27 runs in his first seven overs. Utilizing his experience, he outfoxed Australian batters with variations in speed, line and length, finishing with figures of 3/48 in 10 overs.