BCCI confirms Indian team will follow ICC guidelines for Champions Trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that the Indian team will fully comply with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) guidelines for the upcoming Champions Trophy. This includes featuring the official ICC logo, which carries the name of the host nation, Pakistan, on their jerseys.

“We will follow whatever the ICC guidelines are,” said BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia in a statement, addressing the recent controversy surrounding the Indian team’s jersey and the Champions Trophy logo. When questioned about Pakistan’s name appearing on the ICC logo, Saikia reiterated, “We will follow the ICC directive.”

This statement ends the speculation about India potentially opposing the use of the official ICC logo. While Pakistan is the designated host of the Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place from February 19 to March 9, India will play their matches in Dubai due to political and security concerns. The Indian team has not toured Pakistan for cricket since 2008.

In ICC tournaments, all participating teams are required to adhere to the council's guidelines, including submitting their jerseys for approval. This ensures that the event's branding, including host nation mentions, is standardized across all teams. Notably, in the 2017 Champions Trophy, England and Wales were listed as hosts on the jerseys, and in the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan’s players wore shirts featuring India as the host.

This approach contrasts with the Asia Cup, where the host nation's name was omitted from the logo in the 2023 edition. Organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the tournament opted for a different branding policy.

The BCCI has not yet commented on whether Indian skipper Rohit Sharma or any other team representatives will attend the Champions Trophy opening ceremony, set to take place in Karachi on February 19. The first match of the tournament will also be held in Karachi. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that it has no official information regarding any requests or objections from the BCCI. Meanwhile, the ICC has refrained from commenting but confirmed that it has not received any formal communication on the matter from India. 

The Champions Trophy is expected to draw significant global attention, and adherence to ICC protocols aims to ensure uniformity and a smooth execution of the event.