Najam Sethi calls Afghanistan hypocritical: Afghanistan has been one of the most improved sides in world cricket. They showcased their talent since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they beat big teams like England and Pakistan to secure their maiden ICC Champions Trophy spot. Afghanistan has always been on good terms with India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Over the years, several Afghan cricketers have been representing different franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for different franchises. They have gained love and respect for themselves after playing so much of franchise cricket in India. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has gained a lot of help from the BCCI in terms of cricket and revenue generation. This has raised serious questions for Pakistan, who previously had a good relationship with the Afghans.
Najam Sethi slams Afghanistan Cricket
India and Pakistan are having a row after Pakistan decided to boycott the game against their arch-rivals. Pakistan who got no support from other board members on its stance, has found itself drowning. Amidst this, speaking with Dunya News, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has slammed the Afghanistan board for always supporting the BCCI.
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Najam Sethi brought out the point on how Pakistan helped the Afghans when they had no funds and played a series to generate them. Previously slammed the BCCI for ‘bullying’ Pakistan and their strained relations with Indian Cricket and ICC.
‘They always supported BCCI in ICC meetings’- Najam Sethi
Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi said, “Afghanistan Cricket Board reached out to me and said, ‘We don’t have money. Please play a series with us.’ We played a T20I series with them in Sharjah and gave them all the revenue. Despite all of this, they always supported BCCI in ICC meetings.”
The Afghan cricketers love coming to India and play there games here. The players and fans view India as a second home. Previously, India also allowed Afghanistan to use venues like Greater Noida and Lucknow for “home” matches during tensions in their home countries. They used the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida and the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun for their series against New Zealand.
India vs Pakistan fiasco is heading towards a resolution, after an emergency ICC meeting on Sunday, which was attended virtually by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) chief Aminul Islam, along with Mohsin Naqvi in Lahore. Imran Khawaja, the ICC Deputy Chair, has been working as the mediator to end the row.
Mohsin Naqvi to meet Pakistan PM
The final decision on the highly awaited for the India vs Pakistan encounter in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is due on February 12. The ICC had given Pakistan till February 9 to clarify its position. However, sources believe that no breakthrough is expected today, with the decision likely to be made later this week.
Mohsin Naqvi is set to meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today to brief him on recent negotiations and ask for advice on the next steps. As the final decision is entirely dependent on the approval of the Pakistan Prime Minister.
Also Read: Mohsin Naqvi in trouble! Bangladesh Cricket Board teams up with ICC to end India vs Pakistan row