BCCI writes to ICC to not approve Kashmir Premier League: report

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has formally, in a letter, asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to not recognize the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), reported ESPNCricinfo.

BCCI in their letter to ICC claimed that Kashmir is a disputed territory; hence no matches in such territories should have ICC’s approval. However, ICC doesn’t have any rules and regulations against matches in disputed territories. It must be noted that India has previously played two ODIs in Srinagar, which is in Indian occupied Kashmir and is a disputed territory.

Furthermore, domestic leagues like KPL require approval from the country’s board, which in this case is PCB. ICC’s regulation regarding the approval of an event, clause 2.1.3, clearly states that each national cricket federation shall have the sole and exclusive right to sanction the staging of domestic matches within its territory. PCB has already approved KPL, which is scheduled from August 6-16, 2021, in Muzaffarabad.

President KPL Arif Malik has claimed that ICC have turned down BCCI’s request.

“ICC said to BCCI that KPL is an internal matter of the Pakistan Cricket. The whole world is making fun of India after the ICC response,” Malik said.

PCB on Saturday had expressed its displeasure over reports that the BCCI had called multiple ICC Members and forced them to withdraw their retired cricketers from the Kashmir Premier League.

“The PCB will raise this matter at the appropriate ICC forum and also reserves the right to take any further action that is available to us within the ICC charter,” PCB said in a statement.

Earlier on Friday, former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs had slammed BCCI for trying to stop him from participating in KPL.

“Completely unnecessary of the @BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation and trying to prevent me from playing in the KPL. Also threatening me saying they won’t allow me entry into India for any cricket related work. Ludicrous,” Gibbs tweeted.

Meanwhile, former England spinner, Monty Panesar, has decided to pull out of KPL after reportedly receiving threats from BCCI, denying him entry to India for cricket related work in future if he participates in the league.

“I have decided not to participate in the KPL because of the political tensions between India and Pakistan over kashmir issues. I don't want to be in the middle of this, it would make me feel uncomfortable,” Panesar tweeted.