Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finally affirmed on Wednesday that the Indian cricket team would follow the dress code set by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during Champions Trophy matches starting next month.
This affirmation has put a lid on speculation over the board’s perceived objection to having the host country Pakistan’s name on the official jerseys of the players.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia rejected speculation on the issue.
“BCCI will follow every uniform-related ICC rule during Champions Trophy,” Saikia was quoted as saying by the news agency Press Trust of India.
Earlier, reports had claimed that the Indian team won’t use the logo of ‘Pakistan’ on its jersey which was taken as against the norm. Generally, the norm is that the official logo of any ICC event will have the host country’s name.
The Champions Trophy will be held in Pakistan from Feb 19 to March 9.
ICCI had reportedly warned BCCI over its reported rejection to use Pakistan’s name on the jersey of Team India. The Indian board has, in fact, been asked by ICC that the Indian team is obligated to have ‘Pakistan’ written on the kit as the nation is the original host for the tournament.
“It is the responsibility of every team to add the tournament logo to their jerseys. All teams are obligated to comply with this rule,” NDTV reported an ICC official as saying.
The Champions Trophy 2025 was scheduled to be held in Pakistan singularly, but after India’s refusal to travel to the country, its matches were shifted to Dubai. To accommodate India in the eight-nation Champions Trophy, a two-way hybrid model has been adopted recently by the ICC with the consent of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and BCCI in this regard.
Under the same model, the Green Shirts will also not travel to India for any future ICC event in which India will hold Pakistan’s matches at a neutral venue. – With inputs from Agencies
