Where’s the debate on Kashmir league? The Board has a stand on the matter and it’s been spelt out loud and clear: BCCI | Cricket News – Times of India

MUMBAI: Cricket, like any sport, evokes emotions. The more a point-of-view gets polemical, the more it gets talked about. And the more it gets talked about, the more it begins to border on the contentious.
The latest debate on BCCI’s view of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) is one such, except that this is not just cricket. It’s cricket and beyond, one that partly requires the BCCI to take a stand but largely remains a matter of state sovereignty.
In that, the cricket board taking a stand on the said league – one that will be played in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and making it abundantly clear that it will not engage with stakeholders who choose to participate in it is, in principle, a by-product of how it wishes to address an issue with potentially larger ramifications. And to conclude things, the Board says, “Now that our stand has been spelt out loud and clear, this matter should rest. It’s not up for debate”.
“The BCCI has taken a stand that’s in line with not just the present governments but governments of the past. When it comes to the subject of POK, the BCCI’s stand is clear because the government of India’s stand is clear. So, where’s the debate?” say those who oversee the affairs of the Board.
And, if the BCCI has chosen to let other stakeholders in the game know about where it stands on the matter, there’s quite a degree of unanimity among its members and office-bearers that it is the right thing to do.
“And as I said, opinions are dime-a-dozen. A Herschelle Gibbs may have a mind of his own. So, he’s supposed to have one, but not the BCCI, is it?” say those tracking these developments.
Gibbs recently tweeted: ‘Completely unnecessary of the @BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation and trying to prevent me playing in the @kpl_20. Also threatening me saying they won’t allow me entry into India for any cricket related work. Ludicrous.’
Soon after, former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi retweeted Gibbs with the following: ‘Really disappointing that BCCI is once again mixing cricket and politics! KPL is a league for Kashmir, Pakistan and cricket fans around the world. We will put up a wonderful show and won’t be deterred with such behavior!!’
“Ludicrous,” as Gibbs says this sounds and “disappointing” as this might be for Afridi, the BCCI is clear that it’s not giving anyone a choice here. “On the contrary, the Indian board is making it abundantly clear that it has a stand on the issue that will not change. Where’s the debate? If he still wants to go ahead, he’s free to do so?” officials in India say.
However, TOI understands that with BCCI making it’s stand absolutely clear, cricket boards (read: International Cricket Council full members, barring the Pakistan Cricket Board) have reverted in agreement to BCCI’s view. While the PCB was quick to criticise the BCCI in this regard and said it’ll take the matter up with the ICC, the ICC has maintained that it will not interfere in the matter.
The Indian cricket board meanwhile finds it extremely ignorant on part of those who’ve been ‘fuelling this controversy’. “The BCCI has a stand on the matter. It’s as simple as that. No sports federation anywhere in the world will have a viewpoint contrary to that of their government and the country. Give me an example and I’ll take it. The BCCI is not asking cricket boards to refrain from participating in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), is it?” officials add.
There have been speculations that the England Cricket Board agreed to pull its players out of the Kashmir league because there’s a chance that the BCCI may allow a particular age-group of players to participate in The Hundred.
Board officials, nevertheless, laughed that off. “Let me make this bit absolutely clear — this subject doesn’t come with an option of a barter,” says an official of the Indian board.