Shahid Afridi’s remark caused quite a commotion in the world of cricket, and BCCI president Roger Binny responded to the accusations on Friday with one of the best response.
After India and Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup match on Wednesday in Adelaide, a Pakistani journalist said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) frequently favours India in multi-nation competitions.
Shahid Afridi, former Pakistan Captain didn’t openly said yes but his response followed a similar pattern. Their remarks were based on an incident involving Shakib Al Hasan during the Super 12 Group 2 game, in which the Bangladesh captain was not pleased with the match starting 15 minutes after the rain ceased. Notably, Adelaide is renowned as one of the fastest drying grounds in the world.
Here were Shahid Afridi exact statement on Samaa TV
“”Shakib Al Hasan bhi yehi keh rahe thhe. Aur woh screen par bhi dikhaya gaya. Aap ne ground dekhi… geeli thi. Par mujhe lagta hai ki ICC ka jhukaav jo hai, woh zara India ko kisi tareeke se semifinal pohuchaane ke liye kar raha hai”
English Translation- (Shakib Al Hasan said the same thing and it was shown on the screen as well. You saw the ground how wet it was. But I feel that the ICC is somewhat inclined towards India. They want to ensure that India reach the semifinals at any cost)
Despite India being a “major powerhouse” in cricket, Roger Binny, BCCI chief has reacted angrily to the two’s claims, claiming that no side receives special treatment during ICC competitions, not even India.
“Not fair. I don’t think we’re favoured by ICC. Everyone gets same treatment. No way in which you can say that. What do we get different from other teams? India is a big powerhouse in cricket but we’re all treated the same,” he told ANI.