When discussing the present dispute between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board, former Pakistan captain Imran Khan lashed out viciously against the BCCI.
The Indian and Pakistani cricket boards have been at odds for the past few weeks over who will host the upcoming One-Day International World Cup and Asia Cup. While the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan, the prestigious global tournament will be held in India in the months of October and November. India’s Asia Cup matches were rumoured to be moved to a neutral location earlier this month, but it remains unclear whether Pakistan will travel to their neighbouring country for the World Cup.
Imran Khan, a former Pakistan captain and the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2022, has criticised the Indian cricket board, the BCCI, for its handling of the dispute.
“It is a sad and unfortunate affair, the relationship between Pakistan and India. There is a lot of arrogance in the way India now behaves in the cricketing world as a superpower. Because of their ability to generate a lot of funds, more than any other country, I think they almost dictate now as a sort of the arrogance of a super power of who they should play and who they shouldn’t,” Imran told Times Radio on Friday, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“I find it strange that the Indian cricket board should take it out on the Pakistan cricket players [by not allowing them to feature in the IPL] and it just reeks of arrogance,” he said.
Imran claimed that the BCCI “dictate” international cricket and made a remark about the lack of Pakistani athletes in the Indian Premier League.
“If India doesn’t allow Pakistan to play IPL then Pakistan should not worry about it because Pakistan itself has quality young cricketers,” Imran said.
On Friday, the reigning champion Gujarat Titans will face off against MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings in the first game of the 2023 Indian Premier League season in Ahmedabad. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Super League finished earlier this month with Shaheen Afridi‘s Lahore Qalandars claiming their second straight championship.
