pcb surrenders in front of icc: Bangladesh trapped due to Pakistan’s drama, PCB kneels after seeing ‘contract paper’
New Delhi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) promised the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that if BCB’s demands are not met, it will consider withdrawing from the World Cup in solidarity. However, no official statement has come from the PCB on this matter, but the truth is that the whole discussion seems very childish from the beginning. The talk of Pakistan withdrawing from the tournament seems to be just a rumor or a kite flown in the air.
The PCB has signed an official Participating Nations Agreement and till now there has been no violation of that agreement. Pakistan is playing its matches in Sri Lanka and it does not have any solid basis on which it can claim that injustice has been done to it, hence talking about withdrawing from the tournament in the name of showing solidarity is completely meaningless.
Bangladesh trapped due to Pakistan’s drama
Even if such a situation is ever seriously considered, the ICC will simply have to show the agreement to the PCB and ask on what grounds it is talking about withdrawing from the tournament. After this, ICC will have full right to impose heavy fine on Pakistan, because there is no valid reason to take such a decision. This is also another pressure tactic, which seems to be failing like the BCB’s claim in which it was said that there is no time limit for giving the final decision to the ICC. There are only a few days left for the tournament to start, so it is natural that ICC will wait for a limited time only. If Bangladesh thinks that it can take the tournament to the final stages by holding the governing body hostage, then it is simply not going to happen.
Bangladesh entangled in its own web
It would not be wrong to say that time is fast running out for Bangladesh. This argument in support of Pakistan also does not rest on any solid ground. This is not how international sports diplomacy works. For example, Pakistan was well aware that the tournament was being hosted by India and Sri Lanka, yet it suggested that it was ready to host Bangladesh’s matches. This was a completely cosmetic statement. There was little chance of such a situation becoming a reality, but its purpose was to please the anti-India camp and gain sympathy in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh government’s sports advisor Asif Nazrul reiterated on Tuesday that his team will not go to India for the T20 World Cup under any circumstances, although the International Cricket Council has given Bangladesh Cricket Board time till January 21 to take a decision on participation.
ICC in mood for ‘R or Paar’
As far as ICC is concerned, it understands very well that time is of the essence. He also knows that until this issue reaches a conclusion, efforts to complicate things will continue. Now the need of the hour is to find a final solution to this entire matter, and even if it has to adopt a tough stance, ICC will have to do the same. After BCB has pushed the situation to this extent, ICC is not left with much options. It has unwittingly got trapped in a situation called ‘well in front, ditch behind’ and Pakistan’s theatrics are not going to help in any way.
