Monty Panesar hits back at netizens trolling him for pulling out of PoK league

Former English cricketer Monty Panesar had withdrawn from Pakistan's upcoming Kashmir Premier League (KPL). Panesar's decision to withdraw has created a buzz on social media. While many cricket fans and enthusiasts have hailed his decision, some netizens have also trolled him for backing out of Pakistan's sham KPL. However, Monty Panesar has responded to the trolls on Twitter.

Netizens mock Monty Panesar

Many Twitter users trolled the former English cricketer for backing down from the PoK league. As one user labeled him as a 'coward', the English cricketer replied by stating that he is following the advise given by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA). He further informed that he is staying at home. 

Another user claimed that Panesar was 'successfully blackmailed by the BCCI. To this, Monty Panesar hit back at the netizen and refuted his claims. He further asserted that he had been advised against playing in the Kashmir Premier League. He maintained that he knows the consequences of playing in Pakistan's propaganda cricket league.

Monty Panesar withdraws from Kashmir Premier League 

Speaking to Republic TV, Monty Panesar revealed that he withdrew from KPL as he was warned about the consequences by the BCCI. The former spinner stated he was warned against playing in the sham PoK league and that he might not be given an Indian visa in the future. Monty Panesar also expressed that he wants to play and build a career in India.  In addition, he also stated that he does not want to get engulfed between politics and cricket.

"I thought it would be better if I didn't participate in the Kashmir Premier League. I don't want to get stuck in between cricket and politics. Whatever is happening between India and Pakistan, I don't want to be in the middle of all that," said Panesar.

He further added that the decision to play in the Kashmir Premier League was 'high risk' for him considering the situation between India and Pakistan. Therefore, the cricketer maintained that he was better off staying away from the Pakistan-organised cricket league in disputed territory. 

What is 'Kashmir Premier League'?

Pakistan's sham 'Kashmir Premier League', the first edition of which will be played between five teams representing cities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and one team representing "overseas" Kashmiris, was announced in December 2020. Shahid Afridi has been named the captain of Rawalakot Hawks, confirming the league's geopolitical mischief quotient. The other teams in the franchise tournament will be represented by international Pakistani cricketers such as Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Hafeez, and Fakhar Zaman. All matches in the competition are scheduled to be played between August 6 and August 16 in Muzaffarabad Stadium in PoK, while other former international players like Tillakaratne Dilshan and Monty Panesar have also been roped in. However, Panesar has now withdrawn his name from the league.