Hyderabad: The officers on the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) opined that holding the ICC Champions Trophy with out India just isn’t an possibility and added that the Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) is prepared with a contingency plan if India refuses to journey to Pakistan to play within the match.
A tense political situation between India and Pakistan meant India haven’t performed cricket in Pakistan since 2008. India’s journey to Pakistan to participate in any match is just doable after the federal government’s clearance and it’s unlikely that the Indian authorities will give the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) the permission to permit the Indian cricket crew to journey to Pakistan.
In such a case, holding the ICC Champions Trophy on a hybrid is the one possibility that’s left with the ICC and the PCB.
The Asia Cup in 2023, for which Pakistan have been the hosts, was performed in a hybrid mannequin with India taking part in all their matches in Sri Lanka whereas Pakistan and Sri Lanka performed their matches in Pakistan. Since India certified for the knockout phases of the match, the later phases of the Asia Cup 2023 was held in Sri Lanka.
ECB’s chief government Richard Gould and chair Richard Thompson opined it might not be in one of the best curiosity of the game to play the match with out India, and so they added that the printed rights must also be protected. “It will not be in cricket’s pursuits for India to not be taking part in within the Champions Trophy,” Thompson was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Thompson added that Jay Shah, who will take over his function within the ICC in December, could have an enormous function to play. “It’s attention-grabbing, with Jay Shah – the previous secretary of the BCCI and now chair of the ICC – who’s going to have an enormous function to play in that. There’s geopolitics, after which there’s cricketing geopolitics. I believe they’ll discover a approach. They must discover a approach,” Thompson added.
Gould concurred together with his colleague and stated the printed rights must even be protected. “If you happen to play the Champions Trophy with out India, or Pakistan, the printed rights aren’t there, and we have to defend them. They (Pakistan) are the host nation. We’ve seen the developments happening, and we’re all ready to know whether or not India are going to journey. That’s the important thing,” he stated.
He added that there are contingencies out there with the ICC. “We expect there are some discussions and relationships the place they have to be. I do know Pakistan predict India to journey. There are many completely different alternate options and contingencies out there if that doesn’t occur,” he added.
