Andy Roberts Lashes Out At ICC For Letting India Dictate, Says 'Something's Not To Give'

West Indies legend and 2-time World Cup winner, Andy Roberts has strongly criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for what he perceives as undue 'favoritism' toward the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) during the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The tournament, originally designated to be hosted by Pakistan, was conducted in a hybrid format, with all of India's matches held in Dubai. This arrangement was finalized in an ICC board meeting, which stipulated that all fixtures scheduled in Pakistan for India during the 2024-2027 cycle would be played at a neutral venue.

Speaking to Mid-Day, Roberts accused the ICC of granting India an unfair advantage in the Champions Trophy by allowing them to play all their games in one location. He also pointed to the 2024 T20 World Cup, where India had the advantage of knowing beforehand that their semi-final clash against England would take place in Guyana.

"Something's got to give... India can't get everything. The ICC must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year's T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played," Roberts stated. "At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. How can a team not travel during a tournament?" he questioned.

The West Indies legend further claimed that the BCCI wields significant influence over global cricket and that the ICC is overly compliant with its demands.

"To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, 'listen, there should be no no-balls and wides,' take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India," the 74-year-old further added.

For the second successive ICC Tournament, India ended up as unbeaten winners as the Men in Blue defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets to lift a record 3rd Champions Trophy crown on Sunday, 9th March.