Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has openly criticized Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah for reportedly refusing to travel to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Ali also accused Shah of using his influence to sway other cricket boards into following his lead.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is busy preparing for the Champions Trophy 2025, renovating stadiums and making necessary arrangements. However, India’s participation remains uncertain.
The reports suggest that the BCCI might ask the International Cricket Council (ICC) to move India’s matches to a neutral venue. This is because the Indian government likely will deny approval for the team to travel to Pakistan.
Basit Ali’s Outburst
In a frustrated outburst on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali voiced his concerns over the BCCI’s stance. He claimed that Jay Shah holds significant sway over several cricket boards, alleging that “5-6 cricket boards blindly follow his directives.”
“There are 5-6 boards that will talk with their tails wagging, agreeing to whatever Jay Shah says,” Basit said. “If he says the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan, they’ll agree. If he says it’ll be a hybrid model, they’ll go with that too.”
Ali suggested that Shah has secured the support of major cricket boards by offering substantial payments for player participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He argued that this financial leverage has created a situation where boards feel compelled to align with Shah’s decisions.
“It’s because when their players play in the IPL, BCCI pays their boards a huge amount, whether it’s the English board, New Zealand board, West Indies board, or Australia board,” Ali stated.
The Future Of Champions Trophy?
Meanwhile, at the ICC annual meeting in Colombo, the budget for the 2025 Champions Trophy was officially approved. This approval came on the final day of the meeting, with Pakistan, the host nation, represented by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.
ICC Chief Finance Officer Ankur Khanna and PCB Chief Finance Officer Javed Murtaza meticulously prepared the budget. The Champions Trophy is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
With the countdown to the Champions Trophy ticking away, fans and players alike are eager to see how these political dynamics will unfold. Will the tournament proceed as planned in Pakistan, or will the ICC be forced to implement a hybrid model? Only time will tell.
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