PCB slam BCCI for ‘stopping retired cricketers from featuring in Kashmir Premier League’

Following retired South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs taking to Twitter to reveal that he was threatened by the BCCI and asked not to participate in the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL), the PCB have issued a statement condemning the Indian board's action. The KPL is a PCB-approved T20 tournament, and the Pakistan board, in their statement, have claimed that the BCCI ‘breached international norms and the spirit of the gentleman’s game by interfering in internal affairs of the ICC Members.’ 

Gibbs, on Twitter, alleged that the Indian board threatened that they would not allow him to enter India for any cricket-related work if he participates in KPL T20, and so expressing displeasure over the BCCI’s actions, the PCB have released a statement, terming the Indian board’s actions “completely unacceptable.”

“The PCB considers that the BCCI has brought the game into disrepute by issuing warnings to multiple ICC Members to stop their retired cricketers from featuring in the Kashmir Premier League, further threatening they will not be allowed entry into India for cricket-related work,” the PCB’s statement read.

“Such conduct from the BCCI is completely unacceptable, against the preamble of the Spirit of Cricket and sets a dangerous precedence, which can neither be tolerated nor ignored.”

The PCB have also confirmed that they will raise the matter at the appropriate ICC forum and have claimed that they hold the right to take any further action that is available to them within the ICC charter.

With the tournament set to begin in under a weeks’ time, the KPL organizers, meanwhile, have taken to Twitter to confirm that the tournament will “go as planned & the league is trying its best to get foreign players despite all the external pressure they’re facing.”

The KPL is a PCB-approved six-team competition which, according to the organizers, is ‘aimed at promoting Kashmir’s importance and talent at global level.’ Apart from active Pakistan cricketers, a host of big overseas names - such as Monty Panesar, Owais Shah, Dilshan, Matt Prior and Gibbs -  were set to feature in the competition, but the recent developments have put a cloud over their participation.