'Everyone gets same treatment': Roger Binny weighs in on 'unfair' favouritism allegations

The Board of Control for Cricket in India president Roger Binny has revealed his take on the 'unfair' favouritism allegations labelled against India at the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. India won a thriller against Bangladesh by five runs via DLS method on Wednesday. After the match, former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi made headlines for his controversial statement about the International Cricket Council (ICC) being inclined towards the Indian team.

Speaking to ANI at an event in Chennai on Friday, Binny reacted to the allegations and said, “Not fair. I don't think we're favoured by ICC. Everyone gets the same treatment. No way in which you can say that. What do we get different from other teams? India is a big powerhouse in cricket but we're all treated the same”.

What is the 'Fake Fielding' row that eclipsed India vs Bangladesh?

Bangladesh cricketer Nurul Hasan accused Virat Kohli of 'fake fielding' after the India vs Bangladesh match. This paved the way for allegations about the umpires resuming the match quickly after a rain interruption to favour India. On the other hand, speaking to Samaa TV, Shahid Afridi also labelled allegations against Men in Blue.

"You saw the ground how wet it was. But ICC is inclined toward India. They want to ensure India reaches the semi-finals at any cost. The umpires were also the same who officiated India vs Pakistan & will get the best umpire awards," Afridi told Samaa TV. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan currently sits third in the Group 2 points table of the Super 12 stage at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

In contrast, India is the group topper with three wins and a defeat, while Pakistan has won two and lost two games so far. While India almost looks certain to qualify for the semi-finals, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying look to be blurred. South Africa is placed at 2nd with five points to their name so far. 

Roger Binny sheds light on Asia Cup 2023

Meanwhile, the BCCI chief also commented on India’s chances of traveling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. "That is not in BCCI's hands. That has to be done from the Government's side. They give the clearances,” he said at the event. Earlier in October, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said the Asia Cup will be held at an alternate venue, rather than being held in Pakistan.

This followed a statement by PCB chief Ramiz Raja, who threatened India by saying Pakistan will pull out of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India. However, things haven’t been pleasant for the Pakistani team since the comments were made. Pakistan suffered a dismal start to its T20 World Cup 2022 campaign with back-to-back losses against India and Zimbabwe.