Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter and captain Rashid Latif has taken a strong stance on the India-Pakistan cricket relationship, stating that if he held the authority, he would prevent Pakistan from competing against India in any tournament. Latif also suggested that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should withhold hosting rights from both nations until they resolve their longstanding issues.
BCCI Refusal Sparks Controversy Over Champions Trophy
Latif’s remarks come after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined to send its team to Pakistan for the upcoming Champions Trophy. This decision has raised speculation about the tournament potentially being relocated. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has requested a formal statement from the BCCI on its inability to participate in Pakistan.
Latif voiced support for a firm stance, saying, “If you don’t want to play in Pakistan, then don’t play against us at all. I would take this decision if I had the power and challenge the BCCI.”
Latif’s Call for ICC Action Against India and Pakistan
Latif urged the ICC to stop awarding major tournament hosting rights to India and Pakistan until political tensions between them ease. Citing instances where the ICC penalized Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe for alleged political interference, he questioned the ICC’s leniency towards the two cricket giants, speculating that ICC’s financial stake in both countries might be influencing its decisions.
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Criticism of BCCI’s Security Concerns
The former cricketer also criticized the BCCI’s stance on security concerns, noting that ICC’s security assessments had cleared Pakistan for hosting. Latif stated, “The ICC security team has deemed Pakistan safe. If BCCI had security concerns, they should have addressed them with the ICC directly.”
Potential Consequences if India-Pakistan Matches Cease
While some worry that a lack of matches with India could affect Pakistan’s cricket development, Latif dismissed this notion. He highlighted that Pakistan has sustained its cricket operations during difficult years without home matches and argued that the PCB’s finances, primarily supported by ICC funds, would not suffer greatly from reduced fixtures with India.
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