BCCI president Roger Binny hits out at Shahid Afridi after his 'ICC is inclined towards India' comment

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny hit back at former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi after he recently claimed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) is biased towards India in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. Afridi's comments came after India defeated Bangladesh in a thrilling rain-curtained game on Wednesday.

The match was reduced to a 16-overs-a-side contest after rain halted play during Bangladesh's 185-run chase. Bangladesh were in a strong position with no wickets lost when the play was interrupted but Indian bowlers fought back after the rain delay to pull off a thrilling 5-run victory for the Men in Blue.

Afridi made a controversial statement during a debate on Pakistan's Saama TV post the game as India's victory against Bangladesh all but confirmed Pakistan's exit from the tournament. The former Pakistan skipper accused the ICC of being biased towards India and said the international body wants Rohit Sharma & Co. to reach the semi-finals at any cost.

"You saw the ground how wet it was. But ICC is inclined towards 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,"said Afridi.

"Given the amount of rain that happened, the game resumed immediately after the break. It is very evident that many things were involved, the ICC, India playing (the game), the pressure that comes with it, there are many factors involved. But Litton’s batting was amazing. He played positive cricket. After six overs, we felt that if Bangladesh didn’t lose wickets for another 2-3 overs, they would have won the match. Overall, the fight shown by Bangladesh was brilliant," he added.

Afridi's comments didn't go down well with BCCI president Binny, who hit back at the former Pakistan cricketer and said BCCI gets nothing different compared to other teams when playing a global tournament. He insisted India is a powerhouse in cricket but made it clear there is no favouritism from ICC.

"Not fair. I don't think we're favoured by ICC. Everyone gets 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,"Binny told ANI.

India are currently on top of their group in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 after three wins in theirfirst four Super 12 matches. India kicked off the tournament with a nail-biting win against Pakistan before defeating Netherlands to make it two wins in a row. They slipped up against South Africa before bouncing back to beat Bangladesh and inch closer to a spot in the semi-finals.

India will lock horns with Zimbabwe in their fifth and final Super 12 game on Sunday (November 06). A win against Zimbabwe might see India finish on top of their group.