&w=3840&q=100)
BCCI slammed for India being put in same group as Pakistan in 2026 Women's T20 World Cup: 'Nationalism has a cost'
The BCCI was expected to boycott Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terror Attack as well as the recent armed conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad. The board, however, has not raised objection to the Jay Shah-led ICC putting India and Pakistan in the same group in next year's Women's T20 World Cup in England. read more
India and Pakistan are set to face each other in Edgbaston, Birmingham in next year's Women's T20 World Cup in England. AFP
India has not played any form of bilateral cricket with Pakistan since January 2013, with the two arch-rivals facing each other only in ICC and Asian events due to political tensions as well as cross-border terrorism.
And after the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in April that was followed by a military showdown between the two nuclear-armed nations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was advised to completely boycott Pakistan for some time.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The BCCI, therefore, is facing heavy criticism for India and Pakistan being placed in the same group in the Women's T20 World Cup that is set to take place in England next year.
This despite the fact that it's the ICC and not the BCCI that is responsible for organising all global events including the Women's T20 World Cup, and has been ensuring at least one Indo-Pak face-off in every tournament to cash in on their fierce rivalry.
However, what is interesting to note is the fact that the Dubai-based world governing body is currently led by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who also happens to be the son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Meaning the Group 1 fixture between India and Pakistan, which will take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Sunday, 14 June could not have happened without his approval.
Netizens slam BCCI for allowing India-Pakistan fixture to be confirmed
Here are some of the reactions to the India-Pakistan fixture in next year's T20 World Cup:
BCCI's nationalism has a cost. I thought the cost was India v Pakistan matches at Men's ICC events given the revenue it generates, but the cost of BCCI's nationalism is much lower. https://t.co/qSbqsrkXu8 — Gurkirat Singh Gill (@gurkiratsgill) June 18, 2025
Heard That @BCCI Had Asked @ICC To Not Put #India & #Pakistan In The Same Group in #ICC Tournaments, then why are India & Pak Women's Team grouped together ? @BCCI @BCCIWomen was it all drama or you care to take any concrete actions or have you shamelessly forgotten April-May… https://t.co/Zhs1533HBH — Utkarsh Vashistha 🇮🇳 (@UtkarshV_BJP) June 19, 2025
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Come on @BCCI for once come out of your gold coffers and think of the nation. Understand the sentiment. Instead of blocking Pakistan from world cricket, you decided to play them? All that power and can't arm twist when needed? pic.twitter.com/D0wEnSmKfQ — Shreya (@shreyamatsharma) June 16, 2025
So its not even been 2 months since Pehalgam attack which almost caused an all out war with Pakistan and here BCCI again didn't opposed ICC for putting India in same group with Pakistan????
I still remember there was news after Pehalgam attack that India will tell ICC to not put… https://t.co/aPmNrxRU5l — Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) June 18, 2025
Ok,I understand India and Pakistan are playing together in the ODI World Cup because of Round-Robin format,but why the hell have they been placed in the same group in T20 World Cup @BCCI ?It's proved that Star Sports and BCCI only care about money and not national interest! https://t.co/FCillendt4 — Delhi Capitals Fan (@pantiyerfc) June 18, 2025
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India vs pakistan reallllllyy, people forgot things too quickly — shantanu Kumar (@shantanu_k98529) June 18, 2025
Before the T20 World Cup, India and Pakistan will also face each other in Colombo on 5 October during the upcoming Women's ODI World Cup. Pakistan's matches have been moved to Colombo as a result of the 'Hybrid Model' that saw India play its' matches in the UAE during the Champions Trophy earlier this year.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
And unlike the T20 World Cup, the ODI World Cup will be played in a round-robin format in which each of the eight teams will be the remaining seven sides before the knock-outs, meaning it was impossible to separate India and Pakistan in such a tournament.
The ICC, however, is yet to announce the schedule for the Men's T20 World Cup, which will be jointly-hosted by India and Sri Lanka and will be taking place in the months of February and March – before the women's tournament.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Farmers' body to protest during PM's visit
Bhubaneswar: On the day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow on Thursday, Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), a farmer outfit, will hit the Bhubaneswar streets protesting the BJP-led state govt's alleged failure in providing pensions to farmers, setting up cold stores, and solving paddy procurement-related problems in the state.
Indian Express
37 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India vs England: From predictability of Bazball to new Indian era in Tests, reasons to watch series
The Indian cricket team starts a new era under captain Shubman Gill on Friday when the first Test of the India versus England series starts in Leeds. India legend Sachin Tendulkar believes that India will return from England victorious with a 3-1 scoreline. Naseer Hussain believes it will be 3-1 in England's favour. Ahead of the five-match Test series, here are a few talking points: England have already named their playing XI for the first Test at Headingley. In the series defeat to Australia Down Under, India had taken just three full-time quicks through the series. But in England, under Shubman Gill there could be as many as four out-and-out pacers that could line up, Gill indicated. 'You can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets, no matter how many runs you have scored. So, that has been one of our key discussion points: how we're gonna take 20 wickets. And there might be a case where we could only be going with some pure batters and you could see a bowling allrounder and three to four premier fast bowlers or proper bowlers.' So how India line up will be a mystery that only unravels on Friday afternoon. Ever since Brendon McCullum has taken over the reins of the England team, the side has done its best to entertain. Stats reveal that under coach McCullum, England have won 22 of their 35 Tests. 15 of those wins came at home (out of 20 matches). But the one stat that stands out is that England have drawn just one game out of 35 Tests with McCullum as coach. Even that game was a rain-affected one. 'It's a matter of taking this team from a good team into being something English people are really proud of,' McCullum had said in an interview with the BBC Radio 5 Live Cricket show earlier this year. England have had a run rate of 4.6 in the McCullum era, which is the best among all Test-playing nations since June 2022. The numbers under captain Ben Stokes are also illustrative: England have won 23 Tests while losing 12 since Stokes took over from Joe Root as captain. 'We have a team identity about how we want to go out there and play the game,' Stokes told the BBC before the series against India. 'We know that when we are on top of teams, we are very, very good, and where we maybe have let ourselves down in the past over the last three years is when we have been behind the game, we've not given ourselves the best chance of wresting ourselves back into the game, and that's an area that we have looked at and know that we need to get better at if we want to end up being where we want to end up being as a team. 'We still want to be known as a team who play an exciting style of cricket. [It's] not that we never wanted to win every game that we played, but it's changing what we say and how we say it. We want to be playing exciting games of cricket because we know that's what brings the best out of individuals and us as a team. But it's about winning,' Stokes added.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
38 minutes ago
- First Post
Stokes plays down absence of Kohli, Rohit and Ashwin in India-England Tests: 'It is not going to be any easier for us'
England skipper Ben Stokes added that the home team will also not be obsessing over pace star Jasprit Bumrah, who isn't likely to play more than three matches in the upcoming Test series in the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. read more England captain Ben Stokes felt the absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin (not in picture) would not greatly reduce the threat that the Indian team would pose in the upcoming five-match Test series. Reuters/AFP England captain Ben Stokes shut down conversations on the absence Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin in the upcoming five-match Test series against India on Thursday, stating that their absence will not greatly diminish the threat posed by the Shubman Gill-led visiting team. While Ashwin had abruptly announced his retirement from international cricket in December halfway into the tour of Australia, Rohit and Kohli quit the Test format in the span of a week in May, more than a month before the five-Test series was to get underway. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Stokes, however, said that while the iconic trio's presence will be missed, India's ability to produce 'ginormous' amount of cricketing talent generation after generation will help fill the gap in quick time. 'There's been a lot said about no Rohit, no Virat and no Ashwin, that doesn't mean that we think it's going to be any easier than what it ever is against India. The pool of talent that Indian cricket has is just ginormous,' the England captain told reporters on the eve of the first Test against India in Headingley. 'Although Virat, Rohit and Ashwin have done amazing things for their country on the field, that doesn't mean that whoever comes in to replace those individuals are going to be any less hard to bowl at or bat against, just because of how big the pool of talent is in India. 'We've spent a lot of time out at the IPL, so I know that there's a lot of it. Obviously, three massive names, three people who have done wonderful things for their country, but it is not going to be any easier for us because of those three big names out there,' the all-rounder added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Stokes also acknowledged Jasprit Bumrah, isn't likely to play more than three Tests thanks to his recent back injury, as a key threat in the opposition camp, but added that the home team isn't going to obsess over one individual in the marquee assignment. 'Bumrah leading their attack, he's a fantastic bowler but there (are) 11 players on the team, and it takes a team to win a game of cricket,' Stokes continued. 'But we know Bumrah is an amazing bowler all around the world. His record shows that, wherever he goes, he does well. We know Bumrah is going to be a threat, but we know that every other bowler that India has is also going to be a threat. 'Focusing on one individual over another isn't what we're going to be doing, but obviously, you pay respect to your opposition, and Jasprit Bumrah certainly is a fantastic bowler,' he added. Would have been 'remarkable' to drop Pope: Stokes Stokes also touched upon reports suggesting Ollie Pope was in danger of losing his place in the team, adding that it would have been 'remarkable' for him and head coach Brendon McCullum to drop someone who had scored a match-winning 171 against Zimbabwe just last month. There were suggestions vice-captain Pope and rising star Jacob Bethell were vying for the same batting spot in the first game of a five-Test series at Headingley, starting on Friday. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bethell impressed on England's New Zealand tour in November and December before Pope underlined his credentials with a mammoth century during an innings victory against Zimbabwe last month. Bethell missed that match, opting instead to play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League. Stokes, a loyal supporter of 27-year-old Pope, was emphatic in his backing of the batsman at a press conference on the eve of the match. 'The 'big selection' (idea) did not come from us,' he said. 'It would be remarkable to choose someone else if their last knock was a 170, and that's pretty much all I need to say on that. 'Scoring 170 definitely doesn't do anyone any harm, but having him at number three since I've been captain over a three-year period, averaging over 40, it speaks for itself.' Bethell, 21, has enormous talent and has impressed in all three international formats, though he is yet to score a century in professional cricket. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The debate over how he fits into the Test side will continue to rage but Stokes believes Pope has the maturity to block out the noise. 'In this day and age it's very tough not to see all that speculation, just because of how easily accessible things are,' said the captain. 'You don't even have to go and hunt for it. 'But I think scoring 170 in his last Test match has sort of shown how well he's handled that extra scrutiny.' England need to win 'enough games' to reach maiden WTC final, says Stokes The match at Headingley signals the start of a new World Test Championship cycle, just days after South Africa defeated Australia in a memorable final at Lord's. Stokes has been a longtime critic of the WTC's format, labelling it 'utterly confusing', and England will once again play the most Tests over the next two years. Five-match series against India and Australia threaten to make England's bid to qualify for the 2027 showpiece harder, but Stokes believes he is better off concentrating on the task in front of him. 'If we win enough games of cricket, then we'll find ourselves there at the final at the World Test Championship,' said the all-rounder. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the winners of the upcoming series would receive the new Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, named in honour of England's record wicket-taker and India's top run-scorer. 'It's a proud moment for me and my family to have this iconic series named after Sachin and myself,' said James Anderson, who retired from Test cricket last year. 'The rivalry between our two nations has always been something special, full of history, intensity and unforgettable moments.' With agency inputs
