The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) investigating the religious comments made by Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad to Sri Lanka player Tillakaratne Dilshan after their one-day international last Saturday.
While the players were walking back to the dressing room in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, Shehzad was caught on camera telling Dilshan “if you are a non-Muslim and you turn Muslim, no matter whatever you do in your life, straight to heaven.”
Dilshan’s reply was not audible, and Shehzad went on to say, “Then be ready for the fire.”
Board General Manager media Agha Akbar told the media that Shehzad was summoned to PCB headquarters in Lahore on Wednesday and asked about his religious comments made to Lankan star T Dilshan.
“Ahmed informed the PCB that it was his personal chat with Dilshan, and there was nothing more to it,” Akbar said. “What we understand is that no Sri Lanka Cricket official or our own manager lodged a complaint.” Pakistan Cricket
Tillakaratne Dilshan was born to a Muslim father and a Buddhist mother and was known as Tuwan Mohamed Dilshan.
He shed his Muslim name soon after his international debut in 1999 and took up the name Tillakaratne Mudiyanselage Dilshan with an ethnic Sinhalese-Buddhist identity.
Dilshan childhood coach Ranjan Paranavitana said although Dilshan carried a Muslim name, he and his brothers and sisters followed their mother’s religion from their childhood.
On Saturday Dilshan scored an unbeaten 50 and powered the home team to a seven-wicket win in the ODI series decider.