ICC turns down BCCI request to isolate Pakistan

However, the ICC board refused to accept the BCCI request. “The ICC has made it clear that this request cannot be implemented, as of now. The ICC did concede to our demands on security at the World Cup, but refused to accept this demand of ours,” a BCCI official said.

Several former cricketers, like Sourav Ganguly and Harbhajan Singh and former officials like Rajiv Shukla, had demanded that India should boycott the June 16 World Cup match against Pakistan and persuade the international cricket community to isolate Pakistan.

The BCCI has, however, not taken any decision to boycott the match yet, saying it will follow the government instructions on the matter.

The ICC has assured its members of a tight security plan for the World Cup in England as the BCCI had expressed concern about security during the World Cup in a letter to the ICC after last month’s attack in the disputed region that killed 40 Indian paramilitary troops.

“As you would expect for a global sporting event, the ICC, in partnership with the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) has a robust security plan in place for the men’s Cricket World Cup,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said in a statement following its board meetings in Dubai.

“We work closely with the authorities in our host countries to ensure that the safety of players, officials and fans is a priority.

“Should those authorities raise the threat level of the event based on intelligence, we will of course uplift our security commitment as appropriate.

“We will continue to work with the ECB and our members throughout the build up to and during the tournament to keep everyone abreast of the situation.”