AHMEDABAD: India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said on Saturday there would be &quot;butterflies in the stomach&quot; when he walks out for the T20 World Cup final against <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/allens-record-ton-powers-new-zealand-into-t20-world-cup-final" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">New Zealand</a>, with expectations sky-high for the hosts. The blockbuster final in Ahmedabad on Sunday is expected to attract over 100,000 fans at the Narendra Modi Stadium and hundreds of millions more watching on TV. Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil. Suryakumar played a key part when Rohit Sharma&#39;s India lifted the World Cup in Barbados in 2024, taking over the captaincy later that year after Rohit retired from international T20s. &quot;Leading such a wonderful side into a final that (is also on) home soil, it&#39;s always a special feeling,&quot; Suryakumar told reporters at a packed news conference. &quot;Of course there are nerves, there will be butterflies in the stomach, but as I always say, &#39;if there is no pressure, there is no fun&#39;. All the boys and the support staff, and I am sure the whole of India is excited for tomorrow.&quot; Top-ranked India have been the team to beat in the tournament and lost just one game en route to the final, when South Africa ended their 12-match unbeaten streak in the Super Eights stage. India have since won three straight matches, holding off England in a tense semi-final as the bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, held their nerve to win by seven runs in a high-scoring thriller. Bumrah, who was India&#39;s hero in their win against South Africa in the 2024 final, bowled a near-perfect 18th over at the Wankhede Stadium to deny England and Jacob Bethell, who hit a valiant 105. &#39;Experience is important&#39; The 35-year-old Suryakumar said having players with experience of major international tournaments adds to their armoury. &quot;There&#39;s a lot of benefit because there are a lot of players in this team who have played a lot of ICC events right from our coach (two-time World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir),&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;So their experience is also important. And there are a lot of players, like Bumrah, Hardik (Pandya), Axar (Patel), there are a lot of players who have played in ICC events, in pressure situations.&quot; Suryakumar said he learned a lot from Rohit, who was joined by Virat Kohli in retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup. &quot;The way, where he left, I got to learn a lot of things from him when I was playing under him,&quot; said Suryakumar. &quot;I tried to implement the same things with a few thoughts of mine as well. And it&#39;s worked really well.&quot;

India's captain Suryakumar Yadav (R) looks at the pitch as he interacts with the chairman of the Indian cricket selection committee Ajit Agarkar during the training session on the eve of the 2026 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup final match against New Zea

Cricket

Defending champions India are targeting a record third title and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back trophies. No country has previously won the T20 World Cup on home soil.


'No pressure, no fun', says India's Suryakumar ahead of World Cup final

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam and International Cricket Council (ICC) Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday as talks continued over Pakistan&rsquo;s refusal to play India in the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup 2026.&nbsp;The meeting was week after the Pakistan government formally announced that the national team would participate in the tournament but would not take the field against India in the February 15 Group A match in Colombo.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026; however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled for February 15, 2026, against India,&rdquo; the government said in a statement posted on its official X account.&nbsp;Pakistan opened their World Cup campaign with a victory over the Netherlands on February 7.&nbsp;According to sources, the ICC delegation led by Khwaja arrived in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore around 4 pm to meet PCB leadership and senior officials in an effort to find a way forward. Aminul Islam&rsquo;s presence in the discussions highlighted broader regional concerns surrounding the tournament.&nbsp;The ICC has urged the Pakistan board to reconsider its position. &ldquo;We hope the PCB will consider the significant and long-term implications of this decision and explore a mutually acceptable resolution that protects the interests of all stakeholders,&rdquo; the statement said.&nbsp;The controversy follows an earlier disruption to the tournament after Bangladesh refused to play matches in India over security concerns. The ICC subsequently replaced Bangladesh with Scotland after rejecting Dhaka&rsquo;s request to relocate its fixtures to co-host Sri Lanka.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam and International Cricket Council (ICC) Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday as talks continued over Pakistan’s refusal to play India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan, Bangladesh chiefs meet ICC official over India T20 World Cup match

ISLAMABAD: Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has said the International Cricket Council (ICC) had &ldquo;made its own bed&rdquo; by allowing some teams to refuse to play in certain countries while denying the same option to others.&nbsp;Speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast alongside David Lloyd, Michael Vaughan, and Phil Tufnell, Butcher criticized what he described as the &ldquo;nonsense&rdquo; surrounding India&rsquo;s refusal to play Pakistan outside ICC tournaments, calling the overall approach hypocritical. &#39;Pakistan pulled a blinder&#39; Butcher said Pakistan&rsquo;s stance had dealt a major blow to India and the ICC, given the commercial importance of an India-Pakistan fixture.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan have basically pulled a blinder. They have said they still&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-departs-for-t20-world-cup-will-not-play-against-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">want to be involved in the tournament</a>, but they are not going to play India. That is the only lever Pakistan have to pull in this situation. For India, that&rsquo;s a disaster,&rdquo; he said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 524px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2018975086917964182&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fmedia-library%2F&sessionId=ad2152ad0bfbd2fe032e994bdc015718dac83bd2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2018975086917964182"></iframe></div></div>Butcher criticized the ICC&rsquo;s handling of security concerns raised by different teams, pointing to Bangladesh&rsquo;s case ahead of the T20 World Cup in India. He said Bangladesh was not given the same options that India had previously received when it refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. He noted that India played all of its Champions Trophy matches, including the semi-final and final, in Dubai after citing security concerns, while Bangladesh&rsquo;s request for similar flexibility was denied.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Pakistan-India game is the most lucrative fixture in world cricket. That&rsquo;s why these two teams are always placed in the same group. It&rsquo;s not a coincidence. Everything is arranged from the top,&rdquo; Butcher said.&nbsp;He added that while most teams qualify and are placed in groups through standard procedures, special arrangements are often made for India due to commercial considerations. &ldquo;With these two teams, it&rsquo;s all about money,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Former England captain Michael Vaughan also questioned the consistency of ICC decisions, saying the governing body appeared to apply different rules to different teams.&nbsp;&ldquo;Is it one rule for one and another for another? India refused to play in Pakistan and got a neutral venue. Bangladesh didn&rsquo;t get the same treatment. That&rsquo;s why Pakistan are taking this stance,&rdquo; Vaughan said.&nbsp;The comments come as reactions continue after the Pakistani government confirmed that the national team would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-to-play-t20-world-cup-2026-skip-india-match" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">skip the group-stage match against India</a>&nbsp;scheduled for February 15. The decision followed consultations between PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. &#39;ICC double standards&#39; Pakistan&rsquo;s move was described by officials as a response to the ICC&rsquo;s &ldquo;double standards&rdquo; in dealing with Bangladesh&rsquo;s security concerns ahead of the tournament.&nbsp;Butcher said Pakistan&rsquo;s refusal to play India was a direct reaction to that decision. &ldquo;If you won&rsquo;t come to us, we won&rsquo;t play against you,&rdquo; he said, summing up Pakistan&rsquo;s position.&nbsp;Following Pakistan&rsquo;s decision, reports say the ICC has been left concerned about the potential financial and logistical fallout, given the massive broadcast and commercial value attached to an India-Pakistan clash.&nbsp;Butcher also highlighted what he described as a power imbalance within international cricket, calling India the most influential and wealthiest nation in the sport.&nbsp;&ldquo;When this happens, it affects all the other teams. Schedules change, teams have to travel to suit India, and everyone else has to fit in,&rdquo; he said.

Former England cricketer says Pakistan’s stance had dealt a major blow to India and the ICC.

ICC ‘hypocrisy’ exposed as Pakistan skips India clash in T20 WC: Mark Butcher

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected accreditation applications from Bangladeshi journalists seeking to cover the upcoming ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, triggering criticism and raising concerns over India&rsquo;s growing influence on global cricket administration.&nbsp;Bangladeshi media bodies and journalists say the decision is unprecedented and discriminatory, particularly given Bangladesh&rsquo;s long-standing participation in ICC events and decades of uninterrupted media coverage.&nbsp;Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Media Committee Chairman Amzad Hossain confirmed that between 130 and 150 Bangladeshi journalists had applied for accreditation, all of whom were rejected.&nbsp;&ldquo;This has never happened before,&rdquo; Hossain said. &ldquo;Bangladeshi journalists have consistently covered ICC tournaments, regardless of whether the national team was playing or not.&rdquo;&nbsp;Senior Bangladeshi sports journalist Mir Farid, who has previously held ICC accreditation, said he received an official email informing him that his application had been rejected.&nbsp;&ldquo;I have covered ICC events for years,&rdquo; Farid said. &ldquo;This sudden rejection, without explanation, is alarming and difficult to justify.&rdquo;&nbsp;Veteran journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, one of four Bangladeshi reporters who covered the 1996 ICC World Cup co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, said the move defies established ICC norms.&nbsp;&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t find any valid reason why all Bangladeshi journalists were rejected,&rdquo; Babu said. &ldquo;Even if a team is not participating, journalists from an ICC member or associate nation are still eligible for accreditation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Babu, who also serves as president of the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJA), said the decision appears politically motivated rather than procedural.&nbsp;&ldquo;This reflects poorly on the ICC&rsquo;s claims of neutrality,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;India&rsquo;s outsized control over cricket is increasingly visible, and this decision fits that troubling pattern.&rdquo;&nbsp;He added that the BSJA would consult with the Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) and the Bangladesh Sports Journalists Community (BSJC) to determine possible collective action.&nbsp;The accreditation rejection comes amid strained relations between Bangladesh and India. Earlier, Bangladesh refused to tour India citing security concerns linked to deteriorating political ties. The ICC subsequently replaced Bangladesh with <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/scotland-replace-bangladesh-in-t20-world-cup-2026-after-icc-decision" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scotland</a> in the tournament and rejected Bangladesh&rsquo;s request to shift their matches to co-host Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The Bangladesh Cricket Board&rsquo;s decision not to travel followed the release of national pacer Mustafizur Rahman from his Indian Premier League franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, a move widely seen in Dhaka as politically driven and influenced by India&rsquo;s cricket authorities.&nbsp;The ICC media department was contacted for comment on the accreditation issue but had not responded at the time of filing.&nbsp;Critics say the episode underscores how India&rsquo;s dominance within the ICC is narrowing space for dissenting voices, including independent journalists, and undermining the spirit of inclusivity the global game claims to uphold.

Bangladeshi cricket captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (C) talks to journalists upon his arrival with his teammates at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on July 7, 2019, after leaving the 2019 cricket World Cup. (AFP)

The International Cricket Council rejects accreditation for Bangladeshi journalists at the T20 World Cup, drawing criticism over political bias, India’s influence, and restrictions on media access.

T20 World Cup: India-linked pressure shadows ICC media ban on Bangladeshi journalists

ISLAMABAD: Former Australia all-rounder and Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie deleted a social media post on X after facing abuse for questioning the International Cricket Council&rsquo;s (ICC) decision to replace Bangladesh at the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup 2026.&nbsp;Gillespie had asked why Bangladesh were not allowed to play their matches outside India, as had been permitted in previous ICC tournaments. In his now-deleted post, he wrote: &ldquo;Has there been an explanation from the ICC why Bangladesh could not play their games outside of India?&rdquo; Drawing comparisons with past ICC events, Gillespie pointed to what he described as inconsistency in the governing body&rsquo;s approach.&nbsp;&ldquo;From memory, India refused to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, and they were allowed to play those games outside of Pakistan. Can someone make this make sense?&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 802px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2015312948873556044&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=92f6202c4d95765916e7e6012632060f0f36d306&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;Following the deletion, several fans tagged Gillespie for clarification. He responded that he removed the post due to abuse. &ldquo;Because I got abused for asking a simple question, that&rsquo;s why,&rdquo; he wrote. The ICC announced on Jan. 24 that S<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/scotland-replace-bangladesh-in-t20-world-cup-2026-after-icc-decision" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">cotland would replace Bangladesh</a>&nbsp;at the T20 World Cup, scheduled in India and Sri Lanka from Feb. 7 to March 8.&nbsp;The governing body said the decision followed the Bangladesh Cricket Board&rsquo;s request to move its matches from India to Sri Lanka, which was denied, citing the absence of any credible or verifiable security threat.&nbsp;Scotland will open their campaign against the West Indies on Feb. 7 in Kolkata, face Italy on February 9, and England on Feb. 14. Their final group match against Nepal is scheduled in Mumbai on Feb. 17.

Drawing comparisons with past ICC events, Gillespie points to what he described as inconsistency in the governing body’s approach.

Former Australia great Gillespie faces backlash over Bangladesh T20 World Cup exclusion

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to begin on Feb. 7 in India and Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The decision comes after the ICC issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-will-not-come-to-india-for-t20-world-cup-bcb" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">24-hour deadline</a>&nbsp;to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) earlier this week. With no resolution emerging within the stipulated time, the global cricket body confirmed the change on Saturday. Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi strictly opposed the decision saying, &quot;Bangladesh is a key stakeholder in international cricket and must not be subjected to any form of injustice.&quot; Naqvi said, &quot;No country can dictate terms to another,&quot; he added, &quot;all cricketing nations should be treated equally.&quot; &quot;Bangladesh must play in the world cup at all costs, there should be no double standards&quot; As a result, Scotland will now feature in Group C of the tournament&rsquo;s preliminary stage. The team is set to open its campaign against the West Indies on Feb. 7, followed by matches against Italy on Feb. 9 and England on Feb. 14 in Kolkata. Scotland will then travel to Mumbai to face Nepal on Feb. 17.&nbsp;More details are expected as the ICC and participating boards issue further statements.

Decision comes after the ICC issued a 24-hour deadline to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) earlier this week

Scotland replace Bangladesh in T20 World Cup 2026 after ICC decision

DHAKA: Bangladesh cricket said on Wednesday it was in talks with the governing body, the ICC, seeking a &quot;practical&quot; solution to its request to move its T20 World Cup matches out of India. India forced Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman to quit the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday, prompting anger in Dhaka. With ties tense between the two countries, Bangladesh wants the ICC to shift its World Cup games from India to co-hosts Sri Lanka, citing security concerns. The World Cup begins on February 7, and Bangladesh are scheduled to play its four group matches in India. Senior Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) official Nazmul Abedeen Fahim told AFP on Wednesday that talks were ongoing with the ICC &quot;regarding security issues.&quot; A BCB statement said it would &quot;continue constructive engagement with the ICC and relevant event authorities,&quot; seeking an &quot;affable and practical solution that ensures the smooth and successful participation of the team.&quot; The ICC has not commented. Bangladesh international Mustafizur was snapped up at IPL auction in December by the Kolkata Knight Riders for more than $1 million. But he was let go on the Indian cricket board&#39;s &quot;advice&quot; after what it called &quot;recent developments.&quot; Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. India&#39;s foreign ministry last month condemned what it called &quot;unremitting hostility against minorities&quot; in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Bangladesh&#39;s interim leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, has accused India of exaggerating the scale of the violence. The BCB on Wednesday said it was &quot;firmly committed to placing the highest priority on the safety, security, and well-being&quot; of the team.

Bangladesh

India

BCB says it is "firmly committed to placing the highest priority on the safety, security and well-being" of the team; ICC have not commented.

Bangladesh in talks with ICC over fate of cricket World Cup games

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;The International Cricket Council (ICC), chaired by Jay Shah, has reportedly rejected a request from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) to shift Bangladesh&rsquo;s matches out of India for the upcoming ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup. Shah, who assumed charge as ICC chair in August 2024, previously served as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the decision was conveyed to the BCB during a virtual meeting on Tuesday, where the ICC informed the Bangladesh board that it would not consider relocating the fixtures.&nbsp; The governing body is also understood to have warned that Bangladesh would have to travel to India to play the tournament or risk forfeiting points. However, the BCB has denied receiving any such ultimatum, stating that the ICC has relayed no formal communication to that effect. Neither the ICC nor the BCCI has issued an official statement on the outcome of Tuesday&rsquo;s meeting, which was convened after the BCB wrote to the ICC on Sunday requesting it to &ldquo;consider&rdquo; moving Bangladesh&rsquo;s matches outside India. Last week, the BCB said&nbsp;it had &quot;formally requested&quot; the ICC&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bangladesh-say-will-not-play-t20-world-cup-matches-if-in-india" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">shift their games to Sri Lanka</a>.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: oklch(0.985 0.002 247.839); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;The Board of Directors resolved that the Bangladesh National Team will not travel to India for the tournament under the current conditions,&quot; a BCB statement read. The development comes less than a month before the 20-team T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held across India and Sri Lanka from Feb. 7 to March 8.&nbsp; Bangladesh, placed in Group C, are set to play their first three matches in Kolkata, against the West Indies on Feb. 7, Italy on Feb. 9, and England on Feb. 14, before facing Nepal in Mumbai on Feb. 17. The BCB&rsquo;s concerns reportedly stem from a recent decision by the BCCI to instruct IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-drops-bangladeshi-star-from-ipl-amid-political-pressure" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman,</a>&nbsp;who was bought at the December auction for INR 9.2 crore (about $1.02 million).&nbsp;The decision was confirmed to the media by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, though no reason was provided for the release. It remains unclear who was involved in the decision, as the IPL Governing Council is understood not to have convened to discuss the matter. Mustafizur was the only Bangladesh player selected at the 2026 IPL auction.

Warns that Bangladesh would have to travel to India to play the tournament or risk forfeiting points.

Jay Shah-led ICC refuses to shift Bangladesh matches out of India: Report

ISLAMABAD: Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, who powered India into the final of the Women&rsquo;s World Cup with a stunning unbeaten century against seven-time champions Australia, has become the latest target of online hate from Hindu right-wing accounts after publicly thanking Prophet Jesus in her post-match remarks. The 25-year-old batter, who was named Player of the Match, said in the presentation ceremony that she &ldquo;wanted to thank Jesus&rdquo; and &ldquo;could not do this on my own,&rdquo; describing how her faith helped her through anxiety and setbacks. &ldquo;Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible &mdash; to just stand still and that God will fight for me,&rdquo; she said. Her comments, however, triggered a wave of abuse from extremist social media users, who accused her of promoting Christianity and engaging in religious conversion, claims that have never been substantiated. Several right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach. Twitter user @Anshulspiritual wrote, &ldquo;I still stand by what I said. Jemimah Rodrigues used cricket as a tool for mass conversion. Show me one Indian who did such drama for religious conversion.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984214679091302681&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1631px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Another account, @Tushar_KN, said, &ldquo;Just a few cricket match wins and this country forgets cricketers doing shady things,&rdquo; while @cric05949840 mocked Rodrigues as &ldquo;Pakistan ka Muhammad Rizwan ki sasti copy,&rdquo; adding that Hindu players never invoked &ldquo;Bhagwan or Bhagavad Gita&rdquo; after victories.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984221824994119886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @imarpitmi alleged that Rodrigues&rsquo;s father had been &ldquo;actively involved in Christian missionary work using Khar Gymkhana premises,&rdquo; while @PanipatIV claimed, &ldquo;Jemimah Rodrigues has made clear she&rsquo;s first and foremost an evangelist and cynically using cricket to entice Hindus to convert to Christianity.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984236095127871732&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @Ashutosh1274 shared an old video of Rodrigues at a Christian gathering, alleging she was &ldquo;mimicking spiritual possession,&rdquo; captioning it with the slur &ldquo;rice bag par convert hue log.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984115439216300281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 650px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The vitriol underlines a rising trend of religious intolerance on Indian social media, where expressions of Christian or Muslim faith by public figures often draw targeted harassment from nationalist users. Despite the online abuse, many fans and journalists have defended Rodrigues, praising her resilience and humility. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s shameful that a player who just took India to the World Cup final is being attacked for her beliefs,&rdquo; one supporter posted. Neither Rodrigues nor the Indian cricket board has commented publicly on the trolling.

Right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach.

Rodrigues faces online abuse after dedicating match-winning knock to Prophet Jesus

ISLAMABAD: Former England cricketer and ICC match referee Chris Broad has claimed he was once pressured to &ldquo;go easy&rdquo; on India, alleging that cricket&rsquo;s governing body has become increasingly political under India&rsquo;s influence.&nbsp;In an interview with The Telegraph, Broad said the International Cricket Council (ICC) had changed significantly over the years, with India&rsquo;s financial and political weight influencing key decisions. He recalled an incident where he was urged to overlook India&rsquo;s slow over rate during a match.&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes, that happened,&rdquo; Broad said. &ldquo;India were three or four overs down at the end of a game, which meant a fine. I got a phone call saying, &lsquo;be lenient, find some time because it&rsquo;s India&rsquo;. So we did. The very next game, the same thing happened with Sourav Ganguly, and I was told, &lsquo;just do him&rsquo;. So, there were politics involved right from the start.&rdquo;&nbsp;Broad, who served as a match referee for more than two decades, said he feels &ldquo;fortunate&rdquo; to be out of the system now.&nbsp;&ldquo;India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC in many ways. I&rsquo;m pleased I&rsquo;m not around because it&rsquo;s a much more political position now than it ever has been,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He added that match officials today must either be &ldquo;politically savvy or keep their heads down&rdquo; due to the growing pressure within international cricket.

Former England cricketer Chris Broad reveals he was pressured to overlook India’s slow over rate, citing growing political influence of India within the ICC, making the governing body increasingly political and imbalanced.

Articles tagged with "ICC"