'BCCI is powerful or one person…’: Ex-Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga slams ICC for IND vs PAK reserve day

Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga has criticised the decision to keep a reserve day only for India vs Pakistan in the Super 4 round in the ongoing Asia Cup 2023. The ace cricketer asked why the set rules for the tournament were changed before one game.

"You take the Asia Cup. You have rules before the tournament, but before that one game (India v Pakistan), they changed the rules. Where is ACC? Where is ICC?," Ranatunga asked during an interaction with select media outlets.

Last week, the ACC said that the India vs Pakistan match will have a reserve day on September 11 (Monday) in case the match gets interrupted due to rain or bad weather on September 10 (Sunday) in Colombo.

The decision turned out to be a crucial one for India as they won the match by a record margin on the reserve day. If it wasn't for a mid-tournament rule change then India and Pakistan would have shared points for that match. Following this, India would have been out of the tournament because it lost the last Super 4 match to Bangladesh by 6 runs.

Ranatunga stated that modifying tournament regulations to benefit one or two teams would jeopardise the game, and he chastised the ICC and ACC for their silence.

"I am not very comfortable when you have a tournament, where you change rules for one team. You are looking at a disaster in the future," the World Cup-winning skipper fumed.

"I feel very sad for ICC and ACC because they just want to hold the positions. Former cricketers too don't open, simply because they need the bucks," he said.

Using caustic sarcasm, Ranatunga stated that he would not be shocked if India's World Cup match versus Pakistan in Ahmedabad got a reserve day.

"I won't be surprised if they change the rule before the India-Pakistan game (in the World Cup). ICC will keep their mouth shut and say 'OK, do it'. ICC just talks rubbish, nothing happens," he said.

"Why did they play in Colombo when you have places like Hambantota? That ground was built to play cricket during the rainy season. And you come to Colombo to play in the Asia Cup. What is ACC doing?" said Ranatunga.

Ranatunga stated that world cricket should not be dominated by a single board or individual, using the Asia Cup scheduling dispute as an example.

“Why do the other countries allow that (poor scheduling) to happen? Because the BCCI is powerful, or one particular person is powerful. No, it can't happen like that. They should have given an extra day for all the games if that was the case,” said Ranatunga, without taking names.  

Earlier even former pacer Venkatesh Prasad slammed the council for imposing unethical rules.

The other teams were not allowed to do the same at the Super Four Stage. If the matches were suspended due to bad weather, the teams shared points.

Prasad, who played for Team India between 1994 and 2001, slammed ACC for allocating a reserve day for the India vs Pakistan clash. The former pacer said it would be unethical if the rules were different for just two teams.

"The organisers have made a mockery and it is unethical to have a tournament with rules being different for the other two teams. In the name of justice, will only be fair if it is abandoned the first day, may it rain harder on the second day and these malicious plans not succeed," Prasad posted on X.

The Sri Lanka Cricket board issued a separate post on the decision and said the reserve day was taken in consultation with all four member boards of the Super 4 competing teams. "The reserve day for the India-Pakistan contest of the Super 11 Asia Cup Super 4 stage was taken in consultation with all four member boards of the Super 4 competing teams. Accordingly, the ACC effectively revised the playing conditions of the tournament to effect the agreed-upon change," Sri Lanka Cricket board wrote on X.

To which, Prasad said: "What was the pressure to agree on this unreasonable demand, when you aren’t getting a reserve day for your own matches? Why so much generosity to ensure India vs Pakistan isn’t washed out even if it costs your own team a chance to qualify?  Can you please explain truly the intent and reason to do so?"

(With agency inputs)