Hardik Pandya, K L Rahul showcaused; BCCI considers barring players from non-cricket shows
Pandya apologises for comments on Koffee with Karan
Sydney/New Delhi, Jan 9: Indian cricketers Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul were Wednesday issued show cause notices by the BCCI for their comments on women on a TV show that triggered a massive outrage and might prompt the Board to bar players from such appearances.
Pandya, whose remarks on 'Koffee with Karan' were criticised as sexist, apologised for his remarks, saying he got "carried away by the nature" of the show. Rahul, on the other hand, has not yet responded to the criticism.
"We have sent showcause notices to Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul for their comments. They have been given 24 hours to give an explanation," Chairman of the Committee of Administrators that runs the BCCI, Vinod Rai, told PTI.
The 25-year-old all-rounder and Rahul appeared on the celebrity chat show, hosted by film-maker Karan Johar, together.
Taking to Twitter, Pandya posted, "After reflecting on my comments on Koffee with Karan, I would like to apologise to everyone concerned who I may have hurt in any way.
"Honestly, I got a bit carried away with the nature of the show. In no way did I mean to disrespect or hurt anyone's sentiments. Respect."
On the show, Pandya boasted about hooking up with multiple women and also how open he has been about it with his parents.
When asked why he didn't ask women their name in a club, Pandya responded by saying, "I like to watch and observe how they (women) move. I'm little from the black side so I need to see how they move."
Criticism started coming Pandya's way soon after and it is learnt that he was ticked off by the BCCI top brass.
According to a source, his comments were deemed "crass and cringeworthy" and might have a bearing on whether Indian cricketers appear on "such non-cricket shows" after this.
"It will be considered whether players should even be allowed to appear on such shows which have got nothing to do with cricket," a BCCI source told PTI.
Pandya is currently with the Indian team in Australia where it recently recorded a historic maiden Test series win.
Pandya had joined the team before the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne after recovering from a back injury which he had suffered during the Asia Cup in UAE last year.
He will be seen in action in the three-match ODI series against Australia which starts on January 12 in Sydney.
— hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) January 9, 2019
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Iran restores access to WhatsApp and Google Play after they were banned amid protests
Tehran, Dec 25: Iran's government on Tuesday said it had lifted a ban on access to WhatsApp and Google Play after more than two years, the official IRNA news agency reported.
The report said the country's Supreme Council of Cyber Space made the decision in a meeting led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has vowed to remove restrictions on social media.
Iran's telecommunication minister Sattar Heshemi in a post on X called the decision a “first step” in removing restrictions and said “the path will continue" — indicating the possibility of unblocking other services.
Many people reached by The Associated Press across the capital, Tehran, and other cities said they had access to the services on computers but not yet on mobile phones.
WhatsApp has been the third most popular messaging platform in Iran after Instagram and Telegram.
The ban on WhatsApp and Google Play was put in place in 2022 during mass protests against the government over the death of a woman held by the country's morality police for allegedly violating the strictly enforced dress code. The protests calmed in 2023 after a crackdown by police and security forces that led to the death of hundreds of people and the imprisonment of thousands.
Iran has blocked access to various social media platforms over the years but many people in the country use proxies and VPNs to access them.
