Austrian Cricket Issues Apology to Israel Cricket for Incident during T20 World Cup Qualifier

The Austrian Cricket Association (ACA) has issued a heartfelt apology to the Israel Cricket Association (ICA) and the Israel cricket team for any hurt or offense that may have been inadvertently caused before their Men's T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier A match on June 10.

Although the specifics of the incident are yet unknown, an ICC statement said that the ACA has taken "swift action" to address the issue with the player responsible, and with "appropriate disciplinary sanctions" imposed on the player according to the ACA's disciplinary processes.

Following the incident, the ICC conducted a conciliation process between the ACA and the ICA to find a consensual resolution, according to the ICC's Anti-Discrimination Code. The process was conducted confidentially by Paul Mortimer, an independent expert in the area of anti-discrimination and race relations.

The two teams had met in Spinaceto, in Rome, for a Europe Qualifier A match, with the tournament serving as a stepping stone towards eventual qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Austria's Aqib Iqbal scored an unbeaten 35-ball 52 in that match to seal a seven-wicket win over Israel.