ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The International Cricket Council (ICC) is once again under fire for its bias as it has backed the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB)’s claim, without any verification, that three Afghan players were killed in a Pakistani aerial strike.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the allegation against Pakistan has once again raised questions about the ICC’s credibility and impartiality.
Pakistan has strongly rejected the ICC’s unsubstantiated claim that three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani attack.
Rejecting the biased and immature comments of the International Cricket Council, Information Minister Atta Tarar issued a statement on “X” that the ICC had not provided any independent evidence in this regard.
He wrote, “Pakistan itself is a victim of cross-border terrorism, all this has become a pattern of the new leadership of the ICC under the leadership of Jay Shah.
Jay Shah repeated the allegations against Pakistan on his social media account, after which the Afghan Cricket Board also repeated the same claim. These incidents have raised questions about the impartiality of the ICC.”
It should be remembered that the Afghanistan Cricket Board has also announced its withdrawal from the tri-nation series to be held in Pakistan following the recent tensions.
Analysts also said that the ICC, under the leadership of Jay Shah, has now become a complete vehicle for promoting the narrative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“Cricket alliance” between India and Afghanistan
The “cricket alliance” between India and Afghanistan is also turning the playing field into a political front, the sole purpose of which is to isolate Pakistan on the global stage and weaken its cricketing reputation.
The ICC’s immediate reaction to the alleged “death in an air strike” of Afghan players shows its established pattern of behaviour.
When any accusation is made against Pakistan, the ICC immediately starts promoting it, but when India flouts the established rules and regulations of cricket, the ICC chooses to stay silent.
The ICC promoted the allegations of the Afghan Cricket Board without any verification and issued a statement that completely defines a joint organized campaign by both against Pakistan.
In the past, India refused to play with Pakistan, Indian players violated the rules of the game, but the ICC did not take any action. In the recent Asia Cup, the Indian captain politicized the game by attributing the victory against Pakistan to the Indian army, but the ICC also remained silent on this act.
Experts believe that Pakistan’s demand that the ICC restore its neutrality is of utmost importance because under the leadership of Jay Shah, the ICC has lost its credibility and reputation badly.
The sudden withdrawal of the Afghanistan Cricket Board from the tri-series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka is a completely political decision as the India-Afghan nexus has also started using cricket as a weapon against Pakistan.
Pakistan’s position is clear that the game should be free from politics. Islamabad has called on the ICC to adopt impartiality, conduct a thorough investigation into the allegations, and restore transparency to international sports.
