Former India opener Kris Srikkanth didn’t hold back, launching a pointed attack on Nasser Hussain for his remarks on the Pakistan-India standoff in the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup.
Hussain had pointed fingers at BCCI’s sway over ICC decisions after Pakistan, irked by Bangladesh’s exit, announced a boycott of group-stage games against India—only to reverse course under government orders.
On his popular YouTube show, Srikkanth evoked memories of 2003. ‘Hussain led England then,’ he recounted. ‘Security concerns led them to skip Zimbabwe and Kenya, resulting in an early exit while Kenya progressed. They owned that choice. So why the double standards today? Your rules can’t override ours.’
Srikkanth defended India’s clout, attributing it to the subcontinent’s viewer base that fuels ICC’s coffers. ‘Every era has its powerhouse—England’s was then, India’s is now,’ he declared.
He expressed delight at Pakistan’s willingness to compete. ‘These matches transcend sport, captivating billions,’ Srikkanth noted. ‘Skipping them isolates Pakistan and diminishes cricket’s global appeal. Politics has no place on the field.’
The back-and-forth underscores cricket’s geopolitical undercurrents. With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, calls for equitable governance grow louder, but Srikkanth’s retort reaffirms India’s unapologetic stature.