The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has immediately asked a for a ‘no terror attack’ guarantee from the PCB. This is a result after Pakistan Cricket Board has asked for a written assurance from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding no visa-related issues for all the Pakistani players when they tour India for the big event. Notably, India have the hosting rights of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
A BCCI official stated that the rules of the ICC clearly say that at no point the governmental interference by any country in running the game. Similarly, the cricket boards also shall never interfere in the running of the government. The official also pointed out that it is high time that the PCB stops acting like an agent for an individual in ICC that is working against the interest of India.
BCCI-PCB at loggerheads
“Can the PCB give assurance in writing that the Pakistan government would ensure that no illegal incursions into India take place from the Pakistani side or that there’s no violation of the cease-fire or that no act of terror takes place on Indian soil originating in Pakistan or that no repeat of Pulwama type incident takes place?”
“The ICC mandates that there should be no interference of governments in the administration of the game and the corollary would be that a sports board doesn’t attempt to interfere with how a government functions. It’s time the PCB realises that and stops acting like an agent for an individual in the ICC who is known to work against the interest of India. All I would say is that India is a wonderful country and acts in the most balanced way’, told the BCCI official to IANS.
Wasim Khan recently in an interview on the Youtube Channel ‘Cricket Baaz’ had said, “We are also looking at the fact that the ICC World Cups are to be hosted in India in 2021 and 2023 and we have already asked the ICC to give us written assurances from BCCI that we will not face any problems getting visas and clearance to play in India.“
“That is why we have asked for the advance assurances. But eventually, it is an ICC event and it is their responsibility to ensure we as a full member and signatory of the participant’s agreement go and play in these ICC events,” he concluded.
Over the last few months, the two cricket boards of India and Pakistan have been continuously against each other. The BCCI wants to conduct IPL 2020 in September-October in case ICC postpones the T20 World Cup. Whereas the PCB is against it and wants to host the Asia Cup during that window so that the Pakistan players also get a chance to feature in the tournament.
