New Delhi: Former South Africa batsman Herschelle Gibbs has recently accused the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of "trying to stop" him for playing in the inaugural Kashmir Premier League (KPL) and bringing their "political agenda with Pakistan into equation."
Making the accusation, Gibbs took to micro-blogging site Twitter and said: "Completely unnecessary of the BCCI to bring their political agenda with Pakistan into the equation and trying to prevent me playing in the KPL," the Proteas great said. "[They are] also threatening me saying they won’t allow me entry into India for any cricket related work. Ludicrous."
The former Protea opener's claim comes days after former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif made similar acquisitions and said that BCCI is warning cricket boards that if their former players took part in Kashmir Premier League, they won’t be allowed entry in India or allowed to work in Indian cricket at any level or in any capacity.
Apart from Gibbs and Latif, several other cricketers including Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan, England's Monty Panesar and others have been selected for KPL.
What Is KPL?
The Kashmir Premier League is a Twenty20 cricket league founded by Pakistan in 2021. The league consists of six teams: five teams representing the cities in the Pakistan ocupied Kashmir (PoK) territory and one team representing overseas Kashmiris.