The Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday responded to allegations made by former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs that it was making an attempt to forestall him from enjoying the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) 2021, saying that the Indian board was “well within its rights” to do something in the very best curiosity of its cricketing ecosystem.
Earlier within the day, Gibbs had accused BCCI Secretary Jay Shah of threatening to disclaim him entry into India if he participated within the upcoming KPL 2021.
Reacting to the event, the PCB had issued a press release that it will “raise this matter at the appropriate ICC forum and also reserves the right to take any further action that is available to us within the ICC charter”.
Responding to Gibbs and the PCB, a BCCI official advised Indian information company ANI: “Whereas one can neither verify or deny the veracity of the assertion made by a former participant who has figured in a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) investigation into match-fixing earlier, the PCB should perceive that even when Gibb’s assertion is assumed to be true, the BCCI can be nicely inside their rights to take choices with respect to the cricketing ecosystem in India.
“The fact that the Indian cricketing ecosystem is the most sought after for cricketing opportunities globally, should not be envied by the PCB.”
The BCCI official stated the PCB was “confused” and that permitting or disallowing anybody from enjoying cricket in India was “purely an internal matter” and no totally different than the restriction on Pakistani-origin gamers from taking part within the Indian Premier League.
On the PCB’s intent to take up the problem with the ICC, ANI quoted the official as saying: “They are welcome to raise the matter at the ICC and one can understand where this is coming from but the question that they need to ask themselves is whether it is on account of government interference in their working since the prime minister of Pakistan is officially their patron as per their own constitution. It is time to consider whether this issue also ought to be raised at the ICC.”
The official rejected the PCB’s assertion that the BCCI had “breached international norms and the spirit of the gentleman’s game” and known as upon it to look at the ICC’s definition of “official cricket”.
The Kashmir Premier League T20 2021 is the primary version of the KPL. Of the six groups enjoying within the inaugural season, 5 groups are from Azad Kashmir whereas the sixth one is from exterior the area.
The league is the second T20 competitors organized by the PCB after the Pakistan Super League and is about to play from August 6-17 in Muzaffarabad.
