New Delhi, March 15: Jay Shah, the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has addressed the controversy surrounding the T20 World Cup 2026 for the first time. He emphasized that no country or team is bigger than the organization itself. The ICC operates through the collective efforts of all member teams.
At an awards ceremony, Shah stated, “There has been much speculation about whether some teams would participate in the World Cup. As the ICC President, I can assure you that no team is bigger than the organization. It is not one team that forms the organization, but rather all teams together.”
Shah highlighted that this World Cup has set historical records in viewership. All previous records for total viewership have been shattered. Associate teams performed remarkably well, with the USA challenging India, the Netherlands giving Pakistan a tough fight, and Nepal competing fiercely against England. Even a smaller team like Zimbabwe managed to defeat Australia.
The ICC President advised the head coach of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir, and T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav to continue working hard for the future. He stressed the importance of preparing for upcoming major tournaments, including the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The controversy before the World Cup began when the Bangladesh cricket team refused to tour India. Following this, the ICC excluded Bangladesh from the tournament and replaced them with Scotland. Pakistan then threatened to boycott the World Cup in support of Bangladesh, claiming that the ICC was treating Bangladesh unfairly.
Initially, Pakistan announced a complete boycott of the tournament, later stating they would not play against India in the group stage. However, after ICC mediation and assurances that no ban would be imposed on Bangladesh, Pakistan reversed its decision and played against India. Ultimately, Pakistan did not advance past the Super-8 stage, while the Indian team secured its second consecutive T20 World Cup victory.
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