Not everything can make a person happy. There are only a few things in the world that attract people’s attention, and thus their sentiments are attached to them. The gentleman’s game is one such source that has the ability to keep every individual on their toes. It acts as adrenaline, which increases the heartbeat of thousands of people. A source that is able to connect thousands of people, irrespective of boundaries. It would not be wrong to say that it is the most liked game in the whole world.
The fever of the game is so high that everyone eagerly waits for the tournaments to happen either in 10 overs, 20 overs, or even 50 overs. Under these series of tournaments, recently occurred the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup. This ninth edition consisted of 20 teams gathered from all parts of the world, including America, Africa, and Asia. The event was hosted by two nations, i.e., the West Indies and the United States of America. It is the second time the West Indies have hosted a T20 World Cup, while the USA has made its debut in the world of cricket.
This World Cup is now the buzz of the town. It is because, after 17 long years, India has won the ICC T20 World Cup. It won back in 2007 (the first edition) and waited for 17 years to lift the trophy again. This milestone was achieved by India under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma and his playing eleven. The breathtaking final was held in Barbados, West Indies, between South Africa and India, with India winning the game just by 7 runs.
This final is unique in a sense as well, in that for a short period of time it removed the tag of chokers from South Africa as they played a final of any ICC tournament for the very first time in their 32-year-long cricket history. They either got knocked out of the group stage or the semifinals. But they never got a chance to play in a World Cup final. This raised the hopes of many individuals who love cricket that now the time has come to remove the label of chokers. But all the hopes went in vain. India took the victory from South Africa by just one catch. This has sparked controversy among the audiences: are India the real winners or raiders?
It is an established fact that India has the fastest-growing economy in the world. Thus, the government is investing heavily in different sectors with the aim of dominating the world. Similar is the case with cricket. The government of India is pouring huge amounts into establishing cricket and is thus gradually fulfilling their dreams of dominating the field of cricket. The Indian board, i.e., BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), is utilizing this money to improve their game. That is why Indian players are known for their game all over the world and are considered dangerous due to their capabilities. But one fact that cannot be ignored at all is that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is somehow controlled by the BCCI.
It is just because of big investments, brands, and popularity. Slowly, the ICC is becoming an Indian Cricket Council instead of an International Cricket Council, as major positions are allotted to former Indian players. Major decisions are taken after detailed discussions with BCCI and players. Even during the tournaments, India is the only country given the choice of selecting their own venues and dates on which they want to play. No other team is given such choices despite having renowned players and heavy investments. Biasness is witnessed throughout the events. A soft corner is witnessed by the ICC towards BCCI and the team, which is decreasing the spirit of the game.
During this World Cup as well, the same thing happened. India was allowed to choose its venues and dates on which it would play. They were allowed to choose whether, after reaching the semifinals, they would play the first one or the second one. In the group stage as well, matches were set according to their interests and conditions suiting their capabilities. This depicts that Indians have not won the game truly by their game or capabilities. Some manipulations have also been there, which have increased the chances of India winning the event. In addition to this, they got a golden chance to win the title as the South Africans were playing their first ever World Cup final.
Although a nerve-breaking match was seen between the two, again, a catch sparked rumors of Indian manipulation. This one catch labeled South Africans as chokers. They could not finish the game in their favor. The match was tilted after this catch. This one catch taken by Suryakumar Yadav of David Miller has raised questions about the winnings of the Indian cricket team. Was it actually out or a six? Did Surya’s feet touch the boundary or not? Does any manipulation in showing a changed angle of taking the catch exist or not? A difference of opinion exists on these questions. It is assumed by many that BCCI has manipulated the angles from which the catch is shown so that it looks fair. But on the contrary, there are a majority who support Surya’s action by depicting it as legal delivery. It is just due to South Africa’s inability to stand in a crisis situation and win the game.
But Indian manipulation and the International Cricket Council’s bias towards BCCI are not stopped here. The hegemony of BCCI in ICC decisions is also witnessed in the coming event of the Champions Trophy in 2025. India initially raised questions about the venue by raising concerns about the security of Pakistan. A long-term debate occurred on whether India would play in Pakistan or not. Either they will participate in the event or not. This debate has existed since the ODI World Cup 2023.
Huge efforts were put in by the Indian board to shift the event out of Pakistan, but our board remained firm, and now that the venue is finally selected, Indians have started the debate about whether they will remain in just one city to play the game as their security is threatened. After long discussions, it was eventually decided that India matches would only occur in Lahore, while the rest of the teams would play at other venues as well, including Rawalpindi and Karachi. It shows that other teams feel secure and are just focusing on the game. It is just India that is playing tactics to lose the spirit of the game.
This hegemony has ruined the spirit of cricket. Many world-class players are present on other teams as well, but they play the gentleman’s game and not politics in the game. But this is not witnessed with Indian players. They intervene politics in the game always. It is suggested that BCCI should separate cricket from politics. A game should be treated as a game, and politics should be treated as a game. This will keep the spirit of the game high and will preserve the emotions of millions of people.
The author is Yusra Sarwar. She is currently enrolled in the M.Phil. program in International Relations at National Defence University. Her areas of interest include the foreign policy of great powers, especially China, maritime security, sports, and climate change. The regions she is interested in looking into are the South Asian region and the Indo-Pacific region.
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