The ICC Champions Trophy is just around the corner yet the political drama continues to grow. The tournament will likely be hit by a potential storm after the statements made by Pakistan’s and India’s cricket boards. Reports suggest that an official threat has been sent to both boards by the International Cricket Council (ICC), highlighting that the nations can get banned from the tournament if they fail to meet the demands of participating in international cricketing events.
The core issue lies within the very problematic bilateral relations of the two nations. India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral cricket series in recent years because of political tensions and security reasons. Therefore, this lack of interaction between the two popular cricketing nations with a massive fan base has caused negative impacts on global cricket events and schedules, including the soon-to-be-held Champions Trophy.
The cricket officials from Pakistan have highlighted in their statements that India is resisting taking part in the upcoming tournament, specifically after the much escalated political tensions between the two nations. The officials have also raised their point in front of the ICC, stating that it would be unfair for Pakistan to be denied an opportunity to host the event or compete against a potential rival i.e. India, given the very huge and excited fan base. It can put commercial interests at stake and likely impact the popularity of the tournament.
In response to the statements, ICC has enforced the significance of keeping up with the integrity of international cricket, advising that no team should make decisions around the tournament based on geo-political issues but with the sportsman spirit only. The threat regarding an official action is focused on making sure that all the participating teams, including India, give honour to their international commitments and avoid making any decisions that can hurt the decided schedule of the Champions Trophy.
These latest developments have sparked a much-anticipated debate in the world of cricket. Fans and critics from around the world are showing their disappointment over the immature display of actions by the two most powerful cricketing nations. However, there is still some hope for a peaceful resolution of the issues. Since the warning from ICC can have major consequences in case India or Pakistan decides to withdraw or denies to play each other, there is a chance that the boards end this political drama in favour of sports.
