New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has once again spewed fire against the BCCI as India has refused to go to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. He also accused Shah of exerting undue influence on other cricket boards to suit his priorities. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already started preparations for the event.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali said, ‘There are 5-6 boards, they will wag their tails over whatever Jay Shah says. If he says that the Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan, they will agree. If he says that it will be a hybrid model, they will agree to that too. He alleged that some boards blindly accept what the BCCI says.
Let us tell you, India’s playing in Pakistan remains uncertain, which is affecting the planning of the tournament. The BCCI has requested the International Cricket Council (ICC) to shift India’s Champions Trophy matches to another country. This step is being taken because the Indian government may refuse to give permission for the team’s visit to Pakistan.
Basit Ali further said, Shah has secured the support of major cricket boards by offering substantial payments for the participation of players in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ali said, “This is because when their players play in the IPL, the BCCI pays huge sums of money to their boards, be it the English board, the New Zealand board, the West Indies board or the Australia board.”
Recently, the budget for the 2025 Champions Trophy was officially approved at the ICC’s annual conference in Colombo. This approval was given on the last day of the meeting. Host country Pakistan was represented by PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi. The budget has been prepared by ICC Chief Financial Officer Ankur Khanna and PCB Chief Financial Officer Javed Murtaza.
