West Indies pace legend Sir Andy Roberts slammed India’s considerable advantage at playing at one venue in Dubai during their march to the Champions Trophy title and labelled the International Cricket Council as a representative of the Indian cricket board, BCCI.
“Something’s got to give… India can’t get everything. The ICC [International Cricket Council] must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played [in Guyana]. At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. How can a team not travel during a tournament,” Roberts was quoted as saying by Mid-Day.
Roberts highlighted the lack of fairness in the eight-team tournament where others teams were forced to travel from Pakistan to face India in the United Arab Emirates.
“It is not fair, it’s not cricket. There has to be a level playing field. I know a lot of money comes from India, but cricket ought not to be a one-country sport. It now looks like a one-nation competition and the playing field is not level. To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, ‘listen there should be no no-balls and wides,’ take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India,” Roberts lamented.
“I don’t want to get into the political side of things. But I believe the people who are responsible, in terms of the governing and the ruling of the game in itself which is the ICC… they’re the ones who I think got the problem. I would like them to come up with an answer, why? If they are the governing body of cricket, why is that happening at present? I honestly believe one of the things that can bring all of us together, fans and everyone, even enemies together, [is] sports,” said the legendary Richards recently during the International Masters League in India.
