Sports Desk, New Delhi – Jay Shah has finally spoken about the controversies that surrounded the 2026 T20 World Cup before the tournament began. Without directly naming any country, the ICC chairman delivered a firm message to cricket boards that had created disputes during the competition.
According to Shah, the tournament faced uncertainty before it even started because there were discussions about whether certain teams would participate or not. He emphasized that no single team is bigger than the governing body of world cricket.
“This World Cup was very important because before it began there were questions about whether some teams would play and how the tournament would move forward. As ICC chairman, I want to say that no team is bigger than the organization. One team alone cannot define the ICC; it represents all teams together,” Shah said during an event on March 14.
Bangladesh’s Refusal to Play in India
Earlier, the Bangladesh Cricket Board had raised security concerns and refused to play its matches in India during the tournament. The board requested that its games be shifted to Sri Lanka.
However, the International Cricket Council rejected the proposal. After the refusal, Bangladesh was removed from the tournament and replaced by Scotland.
Pakistan’s Initial Boycott Drama
After Bangladesh’s exit, Pakistan Cricket Board also created tension by initially refusing to play its scheduled match against India on February 15. The situation created further controversy around the event.
Eventually, Pakistan agreed to play the match and the game was held as scheduled, but the early disputes kept the tournament in the headlines.
Record-Breaking Viewership for the Tournament
Despite the controversies, the World Cup turned out to be a massive success in terms of global audience. Shah revealed that the tournament broke several viewership records.
At one point, the event recorded 7.2 million simultaneous viewers, the highest in its history. Overall audience numbers also surpassed previous tournaments.
Shah also praised emerging cricket nations for their impressive performances. Teams like United States challenged India, Netherlands troubled Pakistan, Zimbabwe defeated Australia, and Nepal gave England a tough fight.
He congratulated all associate nations for competing strongly against full-member teams.
Message for India’s Captain and Head Coach
Shah also had a motivational message for Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav.He said maintaining success at the top is difficult and requires continuous effort.
“It takes only a few months to fall from the top, but years of hard work to climb there. Keep working hard and continue winning awards,” he said.