'BCCI can get wides and non-balls removed if they want': West Indian legend launches attack on India

The uproar against the Indian cricket team enjoying a single venue advantage at the recently-concluded Champions Trophy 2025 and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dictating terms in world cricket took a new turn when West Indian legend Andy Roberts joined the criticism of the Men in Blue and their board.

Two-time World Cup champion and one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, Roberts, has said that the ICC, which is currently led by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, needs to start saying no to BCCI’s demands as cricket cannot be a “one-country” sport.

Roberts’ criticism against Team India and BCCI came after Rohit Sharma’s Men in Blue won the Champions Trophy 2025 while playing all their matches in Dubai under a hybrid model. India had refused to travel to Pakistan for the tournament due to security reasons and as a result, the ICC allowed them to play their matches in the UAE.

BCCI can get wides and non-balls removed if they want them

Earlier, BCCI had faced criticism from various other experts and journalists.

“Something’s got to give… India can’t get everything. The ICC must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played,” Roberts told Mid-Day.

“It is not fair, it’s not cricket. There has to be a level playing field. I know a lot of money comes from India, but cricket ought not to be a one-country sport.”

Roberts went on to add that, in the current scenario, it seems like the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board and that the global body would even remove wides or no-balls if India didn’t like them.

“To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, ‘Listen, there should be no no-balls and wides,’ take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India,” Roberts added.