The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been fuming over the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to award Pakistan women team all the six points after the Indian team forfeited three matches of the ICC Women’s Championship against the arch rivals due to political tensions. As a result, the team will now have to play a qualifier in Sri Lanka to make it to the World Cup in England next year.
However, the ICC’s decision has not gone too well with the BCCI and the cricket board has now threatened to boycott the men’s Champions Trophy to be held in England next year.
Speaking to the PTI, a senior BCCI official said:“ICC is well aware that in prevailing situation where Indian soldiers are being martyred, the sentiment is dead against playing Pakistan. The chairman is well aware that we need government permission.”
The BCCI has cut-off all the bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan due to escalating political tension between the two neighbours.
“This is a move with ulterior motive trying to play into the hands of Pakistan. They would say if women can play so can men. But that won’t happen. If ICC does not backtrack, the men’s team in solidarity with our women’s team won’t play in Champions Trophy,” the source said.
Earlier, the ICC had released a statement which stated: “Following consideration of written submissions from both PCB and BCCI, the ICC Technical Committee has ruled that the India Women’s team is deemed to have forfeited each of the three matches it was due to play against Pakistan in Round 6 of the ICC Women’s Championship, and that the associated points should be awarded to Pakistan.
“The matches, which were due to be played between August 1 & October 31, 2016, were not formally scheduled and did not ultimately take place, and the Technical Committee has ruled that Pakistan will be awarded two points for each of the three games and, in accordance with the ICC Women’s Championship playing conditions, India shall be considered to have scored 0 runs in each of the 50 overs in each of the three matches and that its net run rate shall be adjusted accordingly,” the statement added
Meanwhile, another senior official of the BCCI has blasted ICC chairman and former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar for handling the issue well.
The official said: “It seems as if Manohar’s anti-BCCI stand is becoming an anti-India stance. As a former BCCI president, he is well aware why the men’s team could not play a bilateral series with Pakistan last year. Despite that, if Indian women’s team is docked points for not playing Pakistan, it means he does not care about the public sentiment.”