BCCI secretary Saikia says India will comply with ICC’s jersey guidelines for Champions Trophy

BCCI secretary Saikia says India will comply with ICC’s jersey guidelines for Champions Trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that it will adhere to the guidelines issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Consequently, Indian players will wear jerseys displaying the name of Pakistan, the host country for the Champions Trophy, which begins on February 19.

Devajit Saikia, the BCCI secretary, told Sportstar, “We will follow all the ICC guidelines, and we are absolutely clear about it.” He also mentioned that the Board had not requested the ICC to remove the host country’s name from its jerseys. “There were no such requests, and we will absolutely adhere to the ICC rules for jersey-related matters,” Saikia added.

Additionally, Saikia indicated that a decision has yet to be made regarding whether Indian captain Rohit Sharma will travel to Lahore for the captains’ photo shoot before the event. “We have not decided on it yet. We will discuss it in due course and decide accordingly,” he stated.

This statement addresses the controversy that arose when some media outlets reported that the BCCI sought to remove Pakistan’s name from India’s team jersey, as all its matches are scheduled to take place in Dubai. According to ICC guidelines, the host country’s name is prominently featured on team jerseys. For example, when Pakistan visited India for the ODI World Cup in 2023, its players wore jerseys displaying the host nation’s name.

The Champions Trophy will be held at three venues in Pakistan: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. However, the Indian team will not travel to the neighbouring country due to security concerns.