Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin call out India U-19 players after fight with Bangladesh team 

What's the story?

Former Indian captains, Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin have asked BCCI to take strict action against the Indian U-19 players who were involved in a spat with the Bangladeshi players after the U-19 World Cup 2020 final.

The background

Bangladesh U-19s won their first ever World Cup with a close 3-wicket win over India U-19s in the grand finale. Akbar Ali and Mohammad Parvez Hossain played match-winning knocks for the Bangladeshi side as they ensured that Ravi Bishnoi's four-wicket haul goes in vain. After the match ended, the players of both the sides engaged in a brawl as none of the teams showed the spirit of cricket.

ICC took note of this incident and charged Md. Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain, Rakibul Hasan, Akash Singh and Ravi Bishnoi for breaching Article 2.21 of ICC's code of conduct.

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The heart of the matter

Ravi Bishnoi was charged by ICC

Bishan Singh Bedi was the first to slam the behaviour of the youngsters and now, Kapil Dev and Mohammad Azharuddin have spoken their heart out over this incident. Talking to The Hindu on Tuesday (11th February), the former Indian skipper, Azharuddin said:

"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."

Kapil Dev later echoed his statements and commented:

"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."

The 1983 World Cup winning captain felt that there is nothing wrong in being aggressive but there needs to be a limit. He added:

"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."

What's next?

BCCI is yet to take any action against the youngsters but the cricket universe can expect the board to punish the players who crossed the line.

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Do watch: Ugly fight between Indian and Bangladeshi players post U-19 World Cup Final