A PML-N lawmaker during a National Assembly committee meeting on Wednesday said cricket players should offer prayers instead of doing push-ups following a victory.
MNA Rana Muhammad Afzal said during an Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee meeting that while physical movement was a healthy activity, "it would have been better if the players offered nawafil (special prayers) instead of doing press-ups on the victory".
Questions were raised over the cricket team's unusual celebrations during the meeting, as the lawmaker wondered why Misbah and his men did push-ups only when the team won and remained silent when they lost.
"What message are Misbah-ul-Haq and other players giving to the world by doing push-ups?" asked Afzal.
Read: Misbah says ‘no disrespect’ in press-up routine
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Executive Committee Chairman Najam Sethi earlier told the meeting that cricket players 'had been stopped' from performing push-ups after winning matches.
He later clarified in a tweet that the celebrations were done "at the discretion of players".
"Sajda or pushups are done at the discretion of players," Sethi said. "PCB highly appreciates the fitness training facilities of the Pakistan Army, utilised thrice in six years."
PCB's Sethi responded to lawmakers' questions by saying that Misbah had performed the push-ups to show off his fitness after completing a century, which was later followed by other players.
The players had done press-ups following their pre-tour boot camp with the Pakistan Army but "this activity has been stopped now", he told the committee.
After his clarification, Sethi asked the media to "refrain from politicising the Pakistan cricket team".
The press-ups were first performed by skipper Misbah-ul-Haq when he completed his century on the opening day of the first Test against England in July, and the gesture was repeated by the entire team upon their victory at Lord's.
Misbah-ul-Haq's side went on an army boot camp before the tour to improve their infamously poor fitness, and senior batsman Younis Khan led the squad in performing a routine of press-ups followed by a military-style salute in front of the ground's famous Pavilion.
"That was my promise to the army guys," Misbah had said at a press conference after the match, referring to the unusual celebration.
