'No team bigger than ICC': Jay Shah on T20 WC
What's the story
International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah has finally commented on the controversy surrounding the recent T20 World Cup. The issue began when Bangladesh withdrew from the tournament after refusing to travel to India. This prompted Pakistan to threaten a boycott, alleging unfair treatment by the ICC toward Bangladesh. However, after no sanctions were imposed on Bangladesh for their withdrawal, Pakistan reversed its decision and agreed to participate in the tournament.
Authority assertion
No team is bigger than the organization: Shah
Speaking at an awards ceremony, Shah said, "As ICC chairman, I can say that no team is bigger than the organization and no single team makes an organization." He added that an organization is a combination of all teams. His statement comes after Bangladesh's withdrawal and subsequent replacement by Scotland in Group C of the tournament.
Record-breaking tournament
World Cup breaks viewership records
The T20 World Cup, which saw India defend their title, broke all previous viewership records. "The World Cup has shattered all viewership records. For the first time in history, we recorded 7.2 million concurrent viewers," Shah said. He also praised associate teams for their performances against full members during the tournament.
Future focus
Shah urges India to focus on Olympics
Shah, who served as BCCI secretary from 2019 to 2024, urged India head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to keep planning for the future. He stressed on the importance of winning a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "Keep working hard and keep winning awards," he said while advising them to prepare for future ICC events beyond just focusing on the next World Cup.