Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has strongly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC) for urging the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reconsider its decision to boycott the high-profile group match against India at the upcoming T20 World Cup. The mega event will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.Pakistan left for Sri Lanka on Monday to begin their World Cup campaign and are currently awaiting any possible action from the ICC following their refusal to play India in the tournament. While India are co-hosting the event, Pakistan will play all of their matches in Sri Lanka — including any knockout fixtures — due to ongoing political tensions between the two neighbours.
The situation escalated on Sunday when Pakistan’s government instructed the team to participate in the World Cup but boycott the February 15 group match against India in Colombo. The tournament begins on Saturday, with Pakistan scheduled to open their campaign against the Netherlands. Cricketing relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained, with political issues frequently spilling onto the field. During last year’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts across three matches, including the final. India also left without collecting the trophy after declining to accept it from Asian Cricket Council president Mohsin Naqvi.With the PCB yet to formally communicate its stance to the ICC, Akmal has urged the board to remain firm.“PCB should not back down! The ICC has told the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stance of boycotting the India game. Was ICC sleeping when the Asia Cup happened in the hybrid model? Was ICC sleeping when India said it would not play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and only play on a neutral venue? How many times has Pakistan played in India, despite the heightened tensions between the two countries. I have gone myself. The ICC should have thought of these things three years back!” Akmal said on the YouTube channel ‘Game Plan’.Akmal further questioned the ICC’s consistency in handling political sensitivities in international cricket.“The two countries have not played bilateral series for years now. Wasn’t that also politics? Shouldn’t the ICC have thought of ending the politics then? The PCB’s decision should be respected just as we respected India’s decision to play in hybrid model. Things had gotten to such extreme levels. At the Asia Cup, they refused to shake hands with our players, then refused to accept the trophy (from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi. They had disrespected us!”Following Pakistan government’s announcement, the ICC released a statement saying it was still awaiting official communication from the PCB.“While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC statement read.“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of… ICC expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”
