MUMBAI: A fresh controversy has erupted over Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan and UAE in February-March.
TOI has learnt BCCI doesn’t want its players to wear jerseys with the name of Pakistan, one of the host nations, displayed on it.
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BCCI is also firm that skipper Rohit Sharma won’t travel to Pakistan for the captains’ press conference and photo shoot.
According to a BCCI source, the board has requested ICC to shift the twin events, which take place just before the tournament takes off on Feb 19, from Pakistan to Dubai.
“ICC has already accommodated India’s request to not schedule its CT matches in Pakistan, so these are minor issues,” the source told TOI on Tuesday.
PCB deeply upset at BCCI’s fresh demands
The decision by BCCI has left the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) peeved and it is hoping for ICC’s intervention in the matter.
“The 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 jerseys. We believe that the world governing body (ICC) will not let this happen and support Pakistan,” a PCB official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
As per the rules, India not wearing the official logo of the hosts, in this case Pakistan, will be a breach of ICC’s official clothing code.
According to the tradition of ICC tournaments, it is customary for the participating teams to feature the host nation’s name on their jersey even if the tournament is being held elsewhere.
For example, Pakistan’s jersey during the 2021 T20 World Cup featured India’s name on it despite the tournament taking place in the UAE.
Also, when Pakistan participated in the 2016 T20 World Cup and 2023 ODI World Cup in India, they had the host nation’s name on their jerseys.
BCCI’s decision will add to the ongoing tension between BCCI and PCB. The former has already refused to travel to Pakistan and India will play their fixtures in the UAE.
The eight-team tournament will commence on Feb 19 and will conclude on March 9. The 15 matches in the competition will be hosted across four venues – Dubai, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
