Pakistan players will not sport alcohol logo

Pakistan cricket authorities have told the International Cricket Council (ICC) that their players would not sport the logo of a liquor company sponsoring the Super Series against Australia in October, since alcohol consumption is against the tenets of Islam.

"We have informed the ICC that our players will in no manner promote the logos or other promotional material if they are picked in the final World XI squads," a Pakistan Cricket Board official told Reuters. "We didn't want to put our players in a dilemma later on in the matches."

Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan captain, was taken to court by a Pakistan citizen after he appeared in an advertising campaign for an Indian alcohol company two years ago. Akram denied the charges saying that he was promoting the company's cricket gear and not alcohol.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq are the Pakistan players that have been selected in the provisional ICC World XI squad. The final team will be announced in August by a panel headed by Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain.