Canada Cricketers Fighting Is It A Regional Thing?
IslandStats.com
Cricket in the Region has gone well off course, the West Indies have suspended their coach, United States of America are suspended from the ICC, the World witnessed the incident filmed by www.islandstats.com at Lord’s in St. David’s and now word has reached us that a Team Canada player allegedly assaulted at Winnipeg Cricket Match.
A Winnipeg cricket Tournament turned violent recently during what was supposed to be a friendly match at Assiniboine Park.
Abdul Haseeb, a Winnipegger who played for the National Under-19 team in Bermuda earlier this Summer, said he was hit twice by another cricket player after a dispute on the field.
Winnipeg police confirmed they were called to the cricket match around 4 p.m. and a man was arrested for assault.
The fight broke out after Haseeb, 18, refused to play for one of the teams in the Annual Tournament, he said, "We call it an International Tournament," said Haseeb. "I was supposed to be playing for Pakistan, like, the team named Pakistan, but I decided not to play for them because they already had enough players that day."
Haseeb wanted to play for Team Canada, he said, but the captain of the Pakistan team refused to let him join the other team.
"I was okay with that. I was just simply questioning them on why I wasn't allowed to play for the other team," he said.
"And this guy from nowhere comes into the conversation, arguing with me, telling me to go away when I'm not even talking to him."
The man who slapped him was a cricket player from a team that wasn't playing that day, Haseeb said.
"He doesn't hit me once, he hits me twice. He keeps trying to hit me back, but I'm like trying to push him back."
Hammad Khan was one of the cricket players who tried to break up the fight.
He was shocked at what he saw, he said.
"We're just out here to have fun, enjoy good cricket, and I get a chance to play against a quality player, representing Canada -- that's how I was looking at it," Khan said.
Haseeb said he called police because he wants to prevent similar incidents in the future.
"Cricket is a sport that has no physical contact, and it's the most friendly sport. We call it a gentleman sport," he said.
Haseeb said the stress is the last thing he needs as he prepares to play with Team Canada at the 2016 Cricket World Cup in February.
The man accused of assaulting Haseeb has been released on a promise to appear in court on a future date. Police didn't release his name.
Haseeb also launched a complaint with the Manitoba Cricket Association.
He wants the player either suspended or banned from playing the sport.
"I want to make sure this never happens again, because if this can happen to me, to a National player, this can happen to anybody."
