"Lack of profitability, no reason", ex-BCCI officials reveal why India hasn't hosted any U-19 WC

Boys in Blue have bagged the junior World Cup trophy four times but never contested it at home.

There were rumours that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn't played host to any of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup since the tournament's inception in 1998 because of the lack of profitability. But those have now been deemed baseless by former board officials Anirudh Chaudhary and Niranjan Shah, who revealed the exact reason why the Boys in Blue have never played the junior World Cup at home despite winning it the most number of times. 

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“This question should be directed to the ICC. It depends on them how they wish to host and promote the U-19 World Cup. I don’t think a lack of profitability is a reason behind India not hosting it," The New Indian Express quoted former board treasurer Chaudhary as saying. 

"The BCCI has been spending crores on domestic cricket, which is a non-profitable venture. The U19 World Cup not being held in India is more of an ICC matter than the BCCI being reluctant."

"The ICC’s Executive Board takes the call on the allocation of World Cups. The last time this was done was in 2014 when the cycle for 2015-2023 was announced. It appears that the BCCI never expressed willingness to host the junior event."

South Africa is currently hosting the junior World Cup for the second time, with the tournament set to move to the Caribbean for its next edition. Besides various full-members, Malaysia and UAE also have hosted the event, but not India. 

"I don’t think we have anything against the U-19 World Cup. Lack of revenue is not the reason," former BCCI secretary Shah said. "It’s just that it is still to come to India. On the other hand, it has been good for our boys that they have won it in conditions they don’t encounter at home."

"It helps in their development. And taking it to places like Malaysia and UAE helps the promotion of the game."

(Inputs from The New Indian Express)