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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has landed in a controversy just ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, with reports emerging that the Indian cricket board has refused to print Pakistan‘s name on Team India’s jerseys.
The tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and UAE, has now seen tensions rise following this decision. With India’s matches slated to be played in Dubai, the issue surrounding Pakistan’s official role as the host nation has become a hot topic.
PCB official accuses BCCI of politicizing cricket
In response to BCCI’s decision, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official has strongly accused the Indian board of politicizing cricket. The anonymous PCB official claimed that the refusal to print Pakistan’s name on India’s jersey is yet another instance of the BCCI injecting politics into the sport.
“BCCI is bringing politics into cricket, which is not at all good for the game. They refused to travel to Pakistan. They don’t want to send their captain (to Pakistan) for the opening ceremony, now there are reports that they don’t want the host nation’s (Pakistan) name printed on their jersey,” the PCB official said as quoted by IANS.
The controversy comes on the back of BCCI’s earlier refusal to send Indian captain Rohit Sharma to Pakistan for the opening ceremony of the tournament. This decision was met with disappointment from the PCB as the absence of India’s captain from the opening ceremony was viewed by many as a symbolic snub.
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Expresses confidence in ICC intervening in the matter
The PCB official remains hopeful that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will intervene in the matter to ensure that Pakistan, as the official host of the Champions Trophy 2025, is properly recognized. The official believes that the ICC, as the global governing body of cricket, will prioritize fairness and the integrity of the sport.
“We believe that the world governing body (ICC) will not let this happen and support Pakistan,” added the official.
