‘There are 5-6 boards, they will talk with their tails wagging at whatever Jay Shah says,’ laments retired cricketer
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has criticized BCCI Secretary Jay Shah for reportedly declining to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025 .
Ali accused Shah of exerting undue influence on other cricket boards to align with his preferences.
Despite ongoing security concerns, Pakistan retains the hosting rights for the 2025 Champions Trophy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has initiated preparations for the event, including stadium renovations. However, India’s participation remains uncertain.
Recent reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may request the International Cricket Council (ICC) to relocate India’s Champions Trophy matches to a neutral venue, as the Indian government is expected to deny approval for the team’s travel to Pakistan.
Ali, visibly frustrated by BCCI’s stance, voiced his concerns in a YouTube video. He claimed that Jay Shah wields significant influence, asserting that “5-6 cricket boards blindly follow his directives.”
“There are 5-6 boards, they will talk with their tails wagging at whatever Jay Shah says. If he says the Champions Trophy will be in Pakistan, they’ll agree. If he says it’ll be a hybrid model, they’ll go with that too,” Basit said.
The former cricketer suggested that Shah has secured the support of major cricket boards by offering substantial payments for player participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He argued that this financial leverage has led to a situation where boards are compelled to align with Shah’s decisions.
“It’s because when their players play in the IPL, BCCI pays their boards a huge amount, whether it’s the English board, New Zealand board, West Indies board, or Australia board,” he said.
Recently, at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) annual meeting in Colombo, the budget for the 2025 Champions Trophy was officially approved. According to a local media report, this approval was granted on the final day of the meeting.
Pakistan, the host nation for the event, was represented by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who was present at the meeting. The budget was meticulously prepared by ICC Chief Finance Officer Ankur Khanna and PCB Chief Finance Officer Javed Murtaza.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to run from February 19 to March 9, 2025.
