A first information report (FIR) has been filed against Australian cricketer Mitchell Marsh for putting his feet on the World Cup 2023 trophy.
The FIR was filed by RTI activist Pandit Keshav in India's Uttar Pradesh.
Keshav has also sent a copy of the FIR to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a ban on Marsh from participating in cricketing activities in the country.
The FIR comes after Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami complained about Marsh's gesture.
An FIR was lodged against Australian cricketer #MitchellMarsh in Aligarh, UP
— Daily Culture (@DailyCultureYT) November 24, 2023
The complaint was filed by RTI activist Pandit Keshav, alleging that Marsh's actions of dropping legs on the World Cup trophy had offended the sentiments of Indian cricket team fans
He also forwarded a… pic.twitter.com/mxNXGBBBqi
Shami said he was hurt by Marsh's gesture and that it did not make him happy.
Marsh hasn’t reacted to the controversy and returned to Australia after winning the title.
Not the first time
This is not the first time that some sort of legal complaint has been filed against a cricketer of a visiting team in India in light of the recently concluded World Cup 2023.
In October, an Indian lawyer filed a complaint to the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Pakistan's wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan for offering prayer on the ground and voicing support for Gaza.
In his complaint, Vineet Jindal — the same lawyer who filed a complaint against Pakistan presenter Zainab Abbas over her “anti-Hindu” statements — urged the top cricketing body to take strict action against Rizwan.
Jindal's complaint was referring to two separate instances, the first one being Rizwan offering prayer in a World Cup 2023 match against the Netherlands.
