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West Indies pace great Sir Andy Roberts has joined his fellow Antiguan Sir Vivian Richards in pointing out the oddity of India playing all their Champions Trophy games at one venue (Dubai), while other teams had to travel to Pakistan and back.
“Something’s got to give… India can’t get everything. The ICC [International Cricket Council] must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played [in Guyana].
“At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. How can a team not travel during a tournament,” asked Roberts, as India were working their way to their third Champions Trophy triumph on Sunday.
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Richards was recently quoted as saying on several websites that the ICC has to come up with answers for the absurd travel schedules other teams had to endure. “I don’t want to get into the political side of things. But I believe the people who are responsible, in terms of the governing and the ruling of the game in itself which is the ICC… they’re the ones who I think got the problem. I would like them to come up with an answer, why? If they are the governing body of cricket, why is that happening at present? I honestly believe one of the things that can bring all of us together, fans and everyone, even enemies together, [is] sports,” said Richards when he was in India as a member of the International Masters League advisory board.
“It is not fair, it’s not cricket. There has to be a level playing field. I know a lot of money comes from India, but cricket ought not to be a one-country sport. It now looks like a one-nation competition and the playing field is not level.
“To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, ‘listen there should be no no-balls and wides,’ take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India,” said 74-year-old Roberts, who figured in the 1975, 1979 and 1983 World Cups. He was coach of the West Indies team at the 1996 World Cup where they lost in the semi-final. In 47 Tests, he claimed 202 wickets.
The Indian camp has not taken criticism lying down. Head coach Gautam Gambhir slammed critics who felt India had an unfair advantage by being in one city. “What undue advantage? We haven’t practised here [at the Dubai Stadium] even for a day. We practise in the ICC academy. And the conditions there and here are 180 degrees different,” he told reporters. “If you look at the wickets there and here, there’s a huge difference. Some people are just perpetual cribbers. We didn’t have any undue advantage.”
Among the players, South Africa’s David Miller opened up on the crazy travel schedules. His views were accepted by Ravichandran Ashwin. But the retired India off-spin great put things in perspective on his YouTube channel: “In the 2023 World Cup, we played at nine different venues. I was with the team, I travelled with the team. I agree with David Miller, a one-and-a-half hour flight does increase lactic acid in your body. But you must understand it is not in the Indian team’s hands. The ICC has made the fixtures. This schedule was decided even before an Indian became ICC chief.”
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