International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Jay Shah has opened up about the recent controversies surrounding the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Following a major standoff involving Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, Shah said that “no team is bigger than the organisation”.
Bangladesh national cricket team refused to travel to India due to geopolitical tensions. Pakistan had initially threatened to pull out of the competition in solidarity with Bangladesh. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board took a U-turn and reversed its decision of boycotting the prestigious tournament.
No team is bigger than the organization – Jay Shah takes a dig at Pakistan and Bangladesh
Speaking at the CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards in Mumbai on Saturday, Jay Shah hit back at Pakistan and Bangladesh for their boycott threats. He emphasized that the global organization operates with the cooperation of all member countries.
Shah said, “This ICC World Cup was very important because before the tournament started there was a lot of discussion about whether certain teams would participate and how the World Cup would proceed. As ICC President, I can say that no team is bigger than the organization and no single team makes the organization. An organization is the combination of all the teams.”
BCCI requested the release of Mustafizur Rahman due to regional unrest. After unsuccessful negotiations, the organizers replaced Bangladesh with Scotland in the group stage. However, the governing body did not impose any restrictions and awarded them hosting rights for the upcoming youth tournament.
World Cup has broken all records of viewership – Jay Shah
The T20 World Cup became a major success for broadcasters. The event featured highly competitive matches between associate nations and full members, helping the broadcast partners achieve record-breaking viewership on digital streaming platforms.
He said, “The World Cup has broken all records for viewership. For the first time in history, we recorded 7.2 million simultaneous viewers. Overall viewership broke all records. If you see, USA gave a tough challenge to India, Netherlands upset Pakistan, Zimbabwe beat Australia and Nepal gave a scare to England. I congratulate all the associate teams; they have done very well against the Full Members.”
The Pakistan government initially ordered the PCB to boycott the group-stage match against India in Colombo. After talks with the ICC, the cricket board withdrew its initial threats and participated in the global T20 World Cup.
I have a message for Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir – Jay Shah
Jay Shah shared a message for the Indian team management. He advised head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav to remain focused on their future goals. He urged the leadership group to start preparing for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
“I have a message for Surya and Gautam Bhai: It takes only a few months to slide from the top to the bottom, while it takes years to climb from the bottom to the top. Keep working hard and keep winning awards. When I was in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), I had planned till the 2028 Olympics. Now I am at the ICC, and other people are in charge of the BCCI. Good luck to all of you in 2030, 2031 and even That preparations should also be made for 2036.”
Also read: Pakistan took a shocking U-turn, refused to impose fine on Babar Azam and Company after the destruction of T20 World Cup.
