The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI is in a crisis situation. Amid the ongoing feud with the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee, their relationship with International Cricket Council has also hit a roadblock. The ICC, headed by former BCCI President Shashank Manohar, has deducted six points from the Indian women’s cricket team for not playing the scheduled bilateral series with Pakistan from August 1 to October 31, reported PTI.
An ICC release on Wednesday said, “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.”
Now, there is a possibility that the Indian men’s team will not play the Champions Trophy in protest, according to the report. “ICC is well aware that in [the] prevailing situation where Indian soldiers are being martyred, the sentiment is dead against playing Pakistan,” a BCCI official told the news agency. “The chairman is well aware that we need government permission. 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,” he added.
“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.”
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