While India and Pakistan continue to wage a war in military fashion, cricket diplomacy seems to be playing that awkward part quietly. It is understood that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) refused Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s request to play the relocated Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches after being nudged by their Indian cricket counterparts. Cricbuzz had earlier reported about the indications of a nudge from India, and now the ECB decision seems to fit in with that.
“We owe it to the BCCI and Jay Bhai,” an ECB official told Cricbuzz, acknowledging the Indian role in the matter.
🚨 JAY SHAH'S ROLE IN THE PSL. 🚨
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 10, 2025
– Jay Shah's presence has played a significant role in the UAE declining to host the PSL.
🗣️ An ECB offical said, "we owe it to the BCCI and Jay bhai". (Cricbuzz). pic.twitter.com/G4Cx0fjquc
Also Read: ‘I Want To Borrow Virat Bhai’s..’: Tilak Varma’s Express Desire To Take THIS From Virat Kohli
BCCI and ECB Ties
It is believed that Jay Shah’s standing, former BCCI secretary and current ICC Chair, and well-known contacts with the UAE leadership and its cricket board figure prominently. Relations between the BCCI and ECB, whose secretary general Mubashir Usmani is an Indian born in Mumbai, have remained friendly, especially after the BCCI, headed by Shah, had pulled off one and half IPL seasons in the UAE besides staging 2021 T20 World Cup there.
Pakistan’s Dubai Plan Collapsed
The Pakistan Board was keen on hosting the remaining eight PSL games in Dubai, and had even issued a public statement saying that the league was being transplanted to Dubai. However, it had to make a volte face mere hours later, telling the rest of the world that the league was being postponed. It was clear that foreign players in the PSL were reluctant to continue. For a while the ECB was willing to go along with PCB because it had approached the ECB in anticipation of a victory in the ICC Champions Trophy and the ECB was willing to open its doors to PCB, but after the ECB rejected the request to use Dubai International Cricket Stadium it is claimed to have quoted figures which would be outrageous and out of the range of a cash strapped PCB.
Also Read: ‘I Want To Borrow Virat Bhai’s..’: Tilak Varma’s Express Desire To Take THIS From Virat Kohli
