The International Cricket Council (ICC) has come under fire from former Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who claims that the global governing body is unduly swayed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Speaking at a public event in Karachi, Ajmal questioned the ICC’s continued relevance, arguing that it has not been able to operate as an impartial body that can make choices that are in the best interests of international cricket.
Ajmal’s remarks coincide with continuing hostilities over cricket ties between India and Pakistan as well as disagreements over ICC event venues.
The ICC’s leadership structure, especially that of current chairman Jay Shah, a former BCCI secretary, was publicly challenged by the former spinner. Ajmal claims that the ICC’s purported incapacity to take independent action demonstrates the Indian board’s increasing hegemony as the richest and most influential cricket organisation globally.
Using the Champions Trophy 2025 as an example, Ajmal claimed that the ICC is no longer able to enforce its rulings against India. While other teams flew between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, the ICC moved India’s matches to Dubai after India declined to visit Pakistan, citing security concerns.
“The ICC doesn’t need to exist at all if it can’t enforce its rulings on the Indian board. India has no justification for not playing in Pakistan, but the ICC is powerless as Indians now control it,” Ajmal said.
Ajmal added that a number of Test-playing countries privately share his worries but are reluctant to express them in public because of financial and political pressures.
Long-standing political concerns and governmental limitations on bilateral athletic ties are the main reasons India has declined to travel Pakistan. India-Pakistan games have thus been restricted to ICC events held at neutral locations. In response to India’s decision, Pakistan has also decided not to visit India for upcoming international competitions; instead, its games will be played at neutral venues like Sri Lanka for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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