Champions Trophy, India to sport ICC logo: Why it's controversial
What's the story
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the Indian team's jersey for the upcoming Champions Trophy will sport the official International Cricket Council (ICC) logo.
This decision is in accordance with ICC guidelines, which include putting the host nation's name on the tournament apparel.
Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, told Cricbuzz, "We will follow whatever are the ICC guidelines."
Logo dispute
BCCI's stance on Champions Trophy logo controversy
The BCCI's decision comes amid the controversy over the official ICC logo, which has an imprint of Pakistan.
When asked about this, Saikia reiterated the board's commitment to adhere to ICC directives.
This statement, in effect, puts an end to speculation that India will object to the logo since they are not playing any matches in Pakistan for the tournament.
Tournament details
India's participation in Champions Trophy: A closer look
The Champions Trophy, which will take place between February 19 and March 9, has Pakistan as its host. However, the Indian team will be playing their matches in Dubai and not Pakistan.
The last time an Indian cricket team visited Pakistan for a bilateral series or multilateral cricket was way back in 2008.
Saikia is yet to reveal if Rohit Sharma will attend the opening ceremony in Karachi on February 19.
Kit approval
ICC's role in approving team kits for global events
The ICC approves the kits of each team participating in its global events. All teams are required to submit their playing and training kits to the ICC for approval.
For example, during the 2017 Champions Trophy, all participating teams had England and Wales on their jerseys, not just England.
Likewise, Pakistani players wore shirts with an event logo mentioning India during the World Cup 2023.
Policy difference
Asia Cup's policy differs from ICC guidelines
However, the policy for the Asia Cup is different from that of the ICC. In its 2023 edition where Pakistan was the official host, jerseys didn't have Pakistan on the logo.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had stated that there was no need to include the host country's name on apparel.
This deviation from ICC guidelines highlights a unique aspect of ACC's approach toward tournament branding.
Official reactions
ICC and PCB's response to the issue
Though the ICC has not officially commented on the matter, it is understood that they haven't received any request from the BCCI on this issue or about the opening ceremony.
On the other hand, a BCCI source hinted that the ICC will likely accept their decision.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) criticized BCCI's stance accusing them of politicizing cricket.
However, according to ESPNCricinfo Senior Editor Osman Samiuddin, PCB denied their officials commenting on this controversy.