LONDON (Kashmir English): Moeen Ali, the all-rounder from England, has given a straightforward opinion regarding the International Cricket Council (ICC), claiming that the global body is not acting like a neutral protector of the sport and, in fact, is practically continuing to serve the interests of “one cricket nation” only.
Moeen, in a conversation held in Bangladesh, stated that the ICC is unable to protect the smaller boards and the players who get caught in the struggle and that the sport is moving towards a football-type model ruled by franchises, with the ICC being a passive observer.
He expressed his discontent and said that something “seriously wrong” is going on in the decision-making process when arguing that Pakistan, Bangladesh, and others “all know there are multiple issues,” but nothing changes.
When asked outright whether the ICC was acting as a true leadership authority, Moeen did not mince his words. He opined that the ICC has “never really” acted as a guardian at all, while confessing that it is common knowledge in the cricketing circles “who actually calls the shots,” but nobody wants to speak it out aloud.
Moreover, he slammed the Big Three and their silence. Moeen went on to say that the likes of Australia and England need to speak up regarding the double standards issue, but won’t because “everybody has their own plan and as long as they are okay, they do not care about the others.” Moeen pointed out the recent debacle of Mustafizur Rahman as a critical incident.
The fast bowler from Bangladesh was freed by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on the orders of the BCCI, even though he had signed a lucrative IPL contract based on a long stint of excellent performances.
