What’s the story?
South African duo of Hashim Amla and David Miller have urged India to participate in the upcoming edition of the Champions Trophy. They reiterated that if BCCI decides to pull Virat Kohli’s team out of the tournament, there could be serious ramifications for various stakeholders even as passionate supporters of the game would also miss out on the presence of the defending champions.
“If they do not participate in the Champions Trophy, it is going to be a big loss because India has huge cricket followers in the world. Hence, it is not going to be great for the stakeholders. Which team will come in as a replacement for India, I do not know. Nor do I know what they are going to do,” Miller was quoted as saying to PTI.
Echoing his team mate’s sentiments, Hashim Amla affirmed, “If India pulls out, it will be a huge loss for Champions Trophy getting exposure. If somebody wants to see an exciting Champions Trophy, then all eight top teams in the world should be participating.“
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A couple of days ago, South African ODI skipper AB de Villiers had also insisted that the International Cricket Council (ICC) would want India to take part in the Champions Trophy despite the prevailing set of events off the field.
The heart of the matter
Due to the ongoing financial dispute between the ICC and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), there is a sense of uncertainty regarding the Indian side’s participation in the Champions Trophy.
After finding themselves on the wrong side of an all important vote on the controversial ‘Big Three’ financial model, senior office bearers of BCCI are keen on pulling the national team out of the tournament as a sign of their opposition towards the situation.
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On the other hand, the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrations (CoA) want to send the defending champions to the competition. They even sent an email to the office bearers to select the Indian squad as soon as possible in order to facilitate their involvement in the tournament.
What’s next?
All eyes will be on the crucial Special General Meeting (SGM) which is set to take place on Sunday. Even though BCCI are likely to relent and allow India to participate in the Champions Trophy, the outcome of the meet is eagerly awaited by everyone involved.
Author’s Take
With the sport possessing the power to bring countries together, it’s great to see the support expressed by some of the leading South African cricketers. It is imperative for BCCI to come to terms with the situation and permit India to defend their Champions Trophy title.
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