BCCI official reveals ICC can’t ask any teams to cut ties with Pakistan

In a top-level BCCI meeting, BCCI requested the ICC to ask its members to "sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates" and also raised the issue of security at the World Cup, to be hosted by the ECB. These moves were in response to the terror attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir where more than 40 paramilitary troops were killed and a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation claimed responsibility for the attack. 

While India blamed it on Pakistan, Imran Khan, Pakistan prime-minister, claimed that it was wrong and India should share actionable evidence to their claims. On the back of it, a senior BCCI official, privy to the details, stated that ICC can’t ask any teams to cut ties with Pakistan. 

“The ICC will provide all the details of the security arrangements made for the World Cup. It will be same for all the participating nations and England and Wales Cricket Board have always provided top-notch arrangements. But since there has been an apprehension, the doubts will be cleared,” a senior BCCI official told PTI.

“The ICC is in no position to ask any cricket board to sever ties with another member nation. It doesn’t have the right to do so. This is a diplomatic issue which is dealt with at the government level. A member board can always discuss the issue if they want but one can be rest assured that nothing will happen,” the official added.

There have been contrasting opinions on the issue with Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh asking India to boycott all the ties with Pakistan, and with Sachin Tendulkar stating that he would hate to forfeit the game and help Pakistan get two points.