ICC rejects BCCI request, says no to MS Dhoni sporting 'Balidaan' insignia on his gloves

The ICC said that the regulations for ICC events do not permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment.

Image Credits: IANS

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday rejected Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI's) request to allow former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to wear the 'Balidaan Badge' or regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicket-keeping gloves. 

Rejecting BCCI's request to allow Dhoni to wear the badge, the ICC said that the regulations for international events do not permit any individual message or logo to be displayed on any items of clothing or equipment. 

In addition to this, the logo also breaches the regulations in relation to what is permitted on wicket-keeper gloves.

As per ICC, this kind of messages cannot be displayed in any ICC multinational tournament like World cup, T20 World cup or Champion's Trophy.

The BCCI had earlier backed Dhoni on the issue after he was spotted wearing the 'Balidaan Badge' or regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicket-keeping gloves and written to the ICC seeking its permission. 

Speaking to ANI, Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai said, ''The ICC rules say any insignia worn by any player shouldn't have any religious, military, or commercial significance. In this case, the insignia has none of those connotations. So we're going to tell ICC it need not be removed.''

Rai, however, added that the Board will take permission from the ICC in case it is required.

''In any case, if they feel, we'll take permission as we took in case of camouflage caps because we believe in conforming to norms of the game. If the ICC has a set of norms, we'll go with the norms,'' Rai added.

Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai on 'Balidaan' insignia row: But in any case if they feel, we'll take permission like we took in case of camouflage caps, because we believe in confirming to norms of the game. If the ICC has a set of norms, we'll go with the norms https://t.co/JOJDawuO92 — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2019

Sources claimed that the Board had communicated to the ICC that it stands with Dhoni in the insignia row.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, Rajeev Shukla also backed Dhoni on the issue, saying that the former skipper had not violated any norm of the ICC by sporting the badge.

ICC's Claire Furlong had on Thursday confirmed that the international cricketing body had asked the BCCI “to get the symbol removed”.

The "Balidaan Badge" or the insignia was spotted on Dhoni's gloves as television replays showed him stumping Phehlukwayo in the 40th over of the innings bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal against South Africa in the ICC World Cup 2019.

Balidaan is a distinct insignia of the special forces, which form part of the Parachute Regiment. It has a commando dagger pointed downwards, with upward-extending wings extending from the blade and a scroll superimposed on the blade with "Balidaan" inscribed in Devanagari. Only Paramilitary Commandos are allowed to wear the Balidaan Badge.

Dhoni, who has been conferred an honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Parachute Regiment in 2011, had also undergone training under the Para Brigade in 2015.