Legendary West Indies player Andy Roberts has blasted the ICC for unfairly favoring India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Roberts believes that during tournaments, the ICC will do all it takes to support India.
The International Cricket Council came under fire from West Indies speed icon Andy Roberts for handing India a significant edge in the just finished Champions Trophy 2025. While the other teams were playing in Pakistan, India played all five of its games—including the championship game—in Dubai. To play the match, the teams playing India had to travel to Dubai.
Roberts was the most recent of several commentators to assert that India had been granted an advantage during the competition. The legend of the West Indies cited India’s edge in the 2024 T20 World Cup to argue that things couldn’t go their way.
“Something must give.” India is unable to obtain everything. India must occasionally be turned down by the ICC [International Cricket Council]. India even had an advantage at the T20 World Cup last year because they were aware of the location of their semi-final match, which was in Guyana. India has no need to travel to the Champions Trophy. Mid-Day cited Roberts as stating, “How can a team not travel during a tournament?”
‘It’s not fair, it’s not cricket’
Roberts stated that an equal playing field should be established and that it is unfair for India to have the upper hand. According to the West Indian folklore, India currently controls every aspect of the ICC. Roberts even quipped that the ICC will find a way to appease India if they declared that there should be no more wides or no-balls in cricket.
“It’s not cricket, and it’s not fair. The playing field must be level. I am aware that India is a major source of revenue, but cricket shouldn’t be a national sport. The competition now appears to be one-nation, and the playing field is not level. The Indian Cricket Board is what the ICC represents to me. Everything is dictated by India. Roberts bemoaned, “If India says tomorrow, ‘Listen, there should be no no-balls and wides,’ believe me, the ICC will find a way to appease India.”
Throughout the tournament, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir criticized India’s claims of superiority.
