There are clouds of crisis hanging over Pakistan’s hosting of next year’s Champions Trophy tournament. In fact, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy and there is speculation that the entire tournament could be organized outside the country.
Meanwhile, former batsman Rashid Latif said that if he had the power, he would not have allowed Pakistan to play India in any tournament. He also suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should not grant the two countries the right to host global competitions until both resolve their issues.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written a letter to the ICC seeking written confirmation from the BCCI that India cannot travel to Pakistan for the tournament.
‘…I probably would have taken this drastic step’
Latif, 56, told PTI Video: ‘There is a possibility that Pakistan will stop playing cricket against India. If I had the power then yes, I probably would have taken this drastic step. I won’t blame anyone for this. If you don’t want to play (in Pakistan), then don’t play against us (at all).
VIDEO | “There is a big possibility that Pakistan could stop playing cricket against India. If they had been in power then yes they could have taken this strong step. I wouldn’t blame anyone for this, if you don’t want to play then don’t play against us. If I had been there then… pic.twitter.com/BzcEh39Rbj
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 13, 2024
He said, “If I was there, I would have taken this decision and fought against the BCCI.” Latif suggested that the ICC should not allow India and Pakistan to host major tournaments until the issues are resolved.
Latif, who played 37 Tests and 166 ODIs for Pakistan, said: “In my view, the ICC should suspend the hosting rights of both countries until the issues between them are resolved, until their issues are resolved.” That won’t happen.
On political interference in cricket, especially in Asia, Latif referred to the ICC’s ban on Sri Lanka (in 2023) and Zimbabwe (in 2019) and questioned why the world governing body is so soft on India and Pakistan.
The ICC has a lot at stake: Latif
The ICC had suspended Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in November last year for alleged political interference in the administration of the game in the country. The suspension was lifted in January of this year. Latif said: ‘Why are sanctions not imposed on India and Pakistan? Because the ICC has a lot at stake with him.
The former cricketer criticized the BCCI’s stance regarding the Indian team’s security concerns in Pakistan, saying that the ICC security team had assessed his country and considered it safe.
Latif said: ‘I would say this is the first time the BCCI is at fault. The reason they give is very weak. It should be put in writing that the BCCI and the Indian cricket team feel threatened.
He said, ‘The ICC security team came here and gave the green signal for the tournament. If you had a problem you could have told them.
‘…No one saw it in writing’
When asked if Pakistan would withdraw from the Champions Trophy if the tournament is moved elsewhere, the veteran player said: “No one has seen it in writing. This has to be written on a piece of paper. We have spoken to the PCB and we They have said that they have sent an email to the Pakistani government regarding this. This is a serious legal issue and no one is willing to communicate it in writing.
Latif is confident that the lack of matches for India will not hamper the progress of Pakistan cricket. He said: ‘We haven’t played at home for 12 years. What could be sadder than this? Pakistan will receive $34 million (from the ICC) every 8 years, whether they play India or not. Boards that are rich will suffer losses, not boards like PCBs that are out of money.
