One thing is pretty consistent with ex-Pakistan cricketers. They come up with some of the most outrageous statements. Now, joining that is ex-keeper Kamran Akmal. He has slammed the ICC now; First the Bangladesh team pulled out of the T20 World Cup 2026 and now Pakistan is threatening to boycott the India match.
Akmal says no India vs Pakistan
Kamran Akmal has urged the Pakistani team and the PCB, to stay firm on the decision. “PCB should not back down! The ICC has told the Pakistan Cricket Board to reconsider its stance of boycotting the India game. Was ICC sleeping when the Asia Cup happened in the hybrid model?” he said on YouTube channel ‘Game Plan’.
“Was ICC sleeping when India said it would not play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and only play on a neutral venue? How many times has Pakistan played in India, despite the heightened tensions between the two countries. I have gone myself. The ICC should have thought of these things three years back,” he added.
Raises questions over ICC
He continued, how the two nations don’t play bilateral series, and the ICC should have stepped in earlier. “The two countries have not played bilateral series for years now. Wasn’t that also politics? Shouldn’t the ICC have thought of ending the politics then? The PCB’s decision should be respected just as we respected India’s decision to play in hybrid model. Things had gotten to such extreme levels. At the Asia Cup, they refused to shake hands with our players, then refused to accept the trophy (from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi. They had disrespected us!”
Meanwhile, after the tweet from the Pakistani government came, on their decision to not play the match vs India, ICC too responded with a strong reply. “While the ICC awaits official communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), this position of selective participation is difficult to reconcile with the fundamental premise of a global sporting event where all qualified teams are expected to compete on equal terms per the event schedule,” the ICC statement read.
“The ICC hopes that the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications for cricket in its own country as this is likely to impact the global cricket ecosystem, which it is itself a member and beneficiary of… ICC expects the PCB to explore a mutually acceptable resolution, which protects the interests of all stakeholders.”
Cricket
RCB sale officially starts as Diageo sends out books; INR 18,000 crore valuation floated
