LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed displeasure over reports of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) calling multiple ICC members and forcing them to withdraw their cricketers from the inaugural Kashmir Premier League (KPL).
In a statement, the PCB said the BCCI has once again breached international norms and the spirit of the gentleman’s game by interfering in the internal affairs of the ICC members as the KPL has been approved by the PCB.
“PCB considers the BCCI has brought the game into disrepute by issuing warnings to multiple ICC members to stop their retired cricketers from featuring in the Kashmir Premier League, further threatening they will not be allowed entry into India for cricket-related work,” it added.
The statement noted that such conduct from the BCCI is completely unacceptable, against the preamble of the Spirit of Cricket, and sets a dangerous precedence, which can neither be tolerated nor ignored.
“The PCB will raise this matter at the appropriate ICC forum and also reserves the right to take any further action that is available to us within the ICC charter,” the statement concluded.
The BCCI has threatened foreign players through their agents, saying that if they went to Kashmir, the doors of Indian cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), would be closed for them.
Following the threat from the Indian cricket board, foreign cricketers withdrew from the event which is set to begin on August 6. The five foreign cricketers, who have excused themselves from the KPL, are Matt Prior, Phil Mustard, Owais Shah, Tenu Best and Monty Panesar.
Sources said that the BCCI officials contacted the English and African cricket boards and threatened to ban their players from entering India if they participated in the KPL. The English and African boards stopped their players from taking part in the KPL until further orders.
