Herschelle Gibbs Claims BCCI Threatening Him Over KPL

Controversy has once again hit Indian cricket and this time it is regarding the Kashmir Premier League. The newly created T20 competition has been approved by the Pakistan Cricket Board but it will not have any official T20 status. This T20 tournament will be based in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and this is the reason, the Board of control for Cricket in India is not in the favour of it.

The Reason This News Has Been Making The News Recently

India and Pakistan have political issues from long time regarding Azad Kashmir. That is the reason why these two arch rivals do not play bilateral series from long time. The BCCI have clearly said that any cricketer who will be the part of live cricket in the KPL will be strictly prohibited from any kind of cricketing activity in India.

Former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs has claimed also the same tweeting that he has got threatened by BCCI to not participate in the KPL, otherwise he will not be allowed for any kind of cricketing activity in India in future.

The ex-Protea opener made allegations public on his Twitter account. He stated, “Completely unnecessary of @BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation. Trying to prevent me playing in the @kpl_20. Also threatening me by saying that they will not allow me entry into India for any cricket related work. Ludicrous.”

Earlier former Pak cricketer Rashid Latif too had made similar allegations. He had named a few players that were picked for the tournament that had been warned by the BCCI.

What is the Kashmir Premier League?

The Kashmir Premier League is a T20 cricket league which will feature former cricketing stars around the globe along with cricketers from Azad Jammu Kashmir. The tournament will have six teams in the inaugural edition this year.

What are the names of the teams?

The names of the current teams are:

Muzaffarabad Tigers
Bagh Stallions
Rawalakot Hawks
Kotli Lions
Mirpur Royals
Overseas Warriors

Who will be the captains of these sides?

Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Shadab Khan, Shoaib Malik, Imad Wasim and Kamran Akmal are the skippers of their respective teams.

When will the Kashmir Premier League take place?

The Kashmir Premier League (KPL) will take place from the 6th of August to the 16th of August. It will be a short tournament that should have been played rather quietly.

Where will the Kashmir Premier League take place?

KPL will take place at Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium in PoK. This is where the controversy steps in and the BCCI has responded to this. They want to stamp their authority before things go out of hand.

The idea of the tournament is basically created to launch cricketers in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. It is to give some entertainment to the people in that area. Each team will have five players from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

The area has remained disputed between India and Pakistan for years now. It continues to be the bone of contention between the two neighbours. This is the sole reason for such a major issue.

What Was The Response Of The BCCI To The Whole Claim Of It Threatening Herschelle Gibbs?

The BCCI responded to these claims made by Gibbs himself. There were some more claims coming from Pakistani politicians and bodies. They were addressing the political side of things. To this, the BCCI had a fierce response that shut them down completely.

A BCCI official told ANI, “Can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of the statement made by an ex-player who has figured in a CBI investigation into match-fixing earlier. The Pakistani Board must understand one thing. Even if Gibb’s statement is assumed to be truthful, the BCCI is well within the rights to take decisions. That is with respect to the cricketing ecosystem in India. The fact that the Indian cricketing ecosystem is the most sought after for cricketing opportunities globally, should not be envied by the Pakistani board.”

The official went on to add further, “Their board is coming across as a confused body. Similar to them not allowing Pakistani players to play in the IPL, this cannot be construed as interfering in internal affairs of a member of the ICC. Any decision to allow or disallow someone from participating in any manner of cricket within India is purely an internal matter of the BCCI.”

He concluded by saying, “Welcome to raise the matter at an ICC meet and have a discussion on it. Can understand where this is coming from. They need to ask themselves is whether it is on account of government interference in their working. That is since the Pakistani PM is officially their Patron as per their own constitution. It is time to consider whether the issue actually ought to be raised at the ICC.”

What Next With Regards To The Tournament And The IPL 2021?

Well, the BCCI are well within their rights to take a call on this matter. Every country has their say with regards to such matters. That is, especially when it has a political angle to it and the board wants to be safe.

This means that the players playing in the KPL need to safeguard their personal interests too. They will be focused on just playing cricket at present. However, it could hurt them in ways that they may want to reconsider for. The Indian cricketing game is growing in mass proportions. Will playing in such a league actually help them grow? Only time will actually tell!!