MS Dhoni balidan-badge row: Here’s what ICC’s official rules on clothing and equipment say

MS Dhoni sporting insignia of Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves has sparked a controversy at World Cup.

Former India skipper MS Dhoni has courted a controversy after he was seen sporting a regimental dagger insignia of the Indian Para Special Forces on his wicketkeeping gloves during India’s World Cup 2019 opening match being played against South Africa in Southampton on Wednesday. After the images of Dhoni’s gloves went viral on social media, the ICC issued a request to the BCCI to remove the symbol from Dhoni’s gloves.

India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni fields during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match against South Africa.(AFP)

According to ICC’s official guidelines on clothing and equipment, which is available on their website, “players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear,display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment.”

READ | Suresh Raina backs MS Dhoni on Balidan-badge row

Here is what rule G.1 in ICC’s Clothing and equipment Rules and regulation guideline says:

“Players and team officials shall not be permitted to wear,display or otherwise convey messages through arm bands or other items affixed to clothing or equipment (“Personal Messages”) unless approved in advance by both the player or team official’s Board and the ICC Cricket Operations Department.Approval shall not be granted for messages which relate to political,religious or racial activities or causes.The ICC shall have the final say in determining whether any such message is approved. For the avoidance of doubt,where a message is approved by the player or team official’s Board but subsequently disapproved by the ICC’s Cricket Operations Department, the player or team official shall not be permitted to wear,display or otherwise convey such message in International Matches.”

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Meanwhile, an ICC source on Friday reportedly told news agency ANI that if Dhoni and BCCI manage to convince them that the ‘Balidan Badge’ does not have any political, religious or racial message, the body may consider allowing him to continue wearing it on his gloves. (Read | Dhoni gets more backing, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju asks BCCI to stand with former India captain)

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. He had also undergone training under the Para Brigade in 2015.

India defeated the Proteas in their first World Cup 2019 match and will take on the defending champions Australia on Sunday.