Indian journalist Sharda Ugra strongly criticized the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council, stating that the ICC has effectively become the BCCI’s office in Dubai.
In her remarks, Sharda Ugra said that the ICC acts according to the wishes of the BCCI, a pattern that was also visible within the executive board. She described the handling of the current World Cup issue as extremely clumsy and poorly managed.
She added that if Pakistan were to withdraw from the World Cup, it would cause serious damage to the ICC. According to her, Pakistan holds major importance because matches between Pakistan and India generate huge financial revenue.
The Indian journalist said that the ICC’s credibility has already suffered significantly under the current circumstances. She pointed out that this controversy emerged around the same time a Bangladeshi player was removed from the IPL.
Sharda Ugra stated that Pakistan becoming involved in this issue could be seen as a response to India’s past behavior. She claimed that the BCCI is closely linked with India’s ruling authorities and described the removal of Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL as a political decision.
She further said that the present World Cup crisis exists because of India’s influence over the ICC and other cricket boards. According to her, the current situation in international cricket is largely driven by India’s financial power.
The journalist also said that when Bangladesh faced issues traveling to India, the ICC suddenly remembered tournament rules. She questioned who stopped the Indian team from shaking hands with Pakistani players, saying that no one has been able to answer that to this day.
Sharda Ugra added that after becoming ICC chairman, Jay Shah appointed an Indian national as CEO. She believed that if the CEO had been from another country, the situation would have been handled in a very different manner.
She said that instead of being a platform for shared culture, cricket has turned into a center of political conflict, where India uses the sport to send messages to neighboring countries. In her view, the ICC is no longer a serious sporting institution.
She further remarked that if there had been a truly professional sports body in place of the ICC, it would have acknowledged that the issue was mishandled.
Sharda Ugra also said that Bangladesh did not receive the same level of support as India because it lacks influence. She claimed that the cricket boards of England and Australia are also facilitating the BCCI.
Concluding her remarks, she said that if this were any other sport, its governing body would have dealt with the matter more responsibly. Accepting Bangladesh’s demands would have hurt the
