Former England captain Nasser Hussain has slammed the International Cricket Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and stated that he liked that the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) stood up for its player and Pakistan supported them against the lopsided treatment meted out to them.
Hussain claimed that the ICC's preferential treatment of powerful boards, particularly India, had exacerbated the imbalance in global cricket.
Hussain's comments come after the BCCI terminated Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman's contract with his Indian Premier League side. The decision set off a chain of events that saw Bangladesh refuse to go to India for World Cup matches, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
Just one week before the tournament was supposed to begin, Pakistan stated that they would boycott their match against India in the group stage, further escalating the issue.
Hussain questioned the ICC's consistency, asking if the international organization would have adopted such a harsh stance if India had been the side that refused to participate, claiming security or government restrictions.
“If India, a month before a tournament, said, ‘Our government does not want us to play in a country for a World Cup,’ would the ICC have been so firm and said, ‘You know the rules, bad luck, we’re knocking you out’?” Hussain asked while speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast alongside Michael Atherton.
He then issued a more general caution about the potential long-term harm that such an imbalance could bring about.
“The only thing all sides ask for is consistency. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India must be treated the same. Yes, India fans may say, ‘Cry more, we have the money!’ But with power comes responsibility. Constantly knocking Bangladesh or Pakistan diminishes their cricket. That’s why the great games between India and Pakistan or India and Bangladesh have become one-sided over time,” he added.
Hussain expressed his admiration for the Bangladesh Cricket Board's support of its players before wrapping up the discussion.
"I actually quite like Bangladesh sticking to their guns, standing up for their players. I quite like Pakistan sticking up for Bangladesh as well. At some stage, someone should say, Enough with this politics; can we just get back to playing cricket?" Hussain concluded.
