As the 2026 T20 World Cup inches closer, the tournament finds itself increasingly entangled in politics and governance disputes, with the latest flashpoint being Bangladesh’s exit and Pakistan’s threatened boycott. But for Ehsan Mani, former ICC president and ex-Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, the current turmoil isn’t just about one tournament — it’s a symptom of a sport losing its way.
According to an exclusive report by Telecom Asia Sport, Mani has sharply criticised the International Cricket Council’s internal structure for allowing political tensions and inconsistencies to dominate world cricket. Speaking in a telephonic interview with Telecom Asia Sport, he did not mince words.
“There should be a serious governance review of the ICC immediately. The only remedy perhaps lies in making a majority of the directors on the board independent with a constitutional change,” he said, urging fundamental reforms to how cricket’s global governing body operates.
Nostalgia for an era of stronger, united leadership
Reflecting on a more collaborative past, Mani paid tribute to the late Inderjit Singh Bindra and recalled a time when Asian cricket leaders worked together with integrity and openness.
“The likes of Bindra, Jagmohan Dalmiya and Raj Singh were icons of cricket administration who believed that Asia must move together. They were people who spoke openly and honestly and so did we as we tried to keep politics out of the sport,” Mani told Telecom Asia Sport.
This vision of cricket diplomacy, according to Mani, has been lost in today’s administrative climate — replaced by regional disputes, boardroom silence, and opaque decision-making.
ICC’s handling of Bangladesh criticised
The recent removal of Bangladesh from the World Cup, following the BCCI’s decision to drop Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL and ongoing concerns over player security in India, became a flashpoint in the build-up to the tournament. Mani believes this situation could and should have been prevented.
“It should never have been allowed to come to this stage. BCCI, for one, shouldn’t have dropped a player (Mustafizur Rehman) from the IPL after accepting them in the auction and Bangladesh had a case that when India cannot guarantee the security of one player, then a question about their team’s safety is relevant,” he said.
Yet Mani also pointed to Bangladesh’s own missteps, suggesting the response should have come from the government, not just the cricket board.
“However, I feel Bangladesh made a mistake — they should have had their government coming to the forefront to forbid them from going to India and not the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Remember, India did it when they refused to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, against which Pakistan reciprocated and hence the hybrid model was accepted,” he added.
Hybrid model offers no lasting fix
The hybrid model, adopted by the ICC in recent years to circumvent political roadblocks between India and Pakistan, has been portrayed as a compromise — but Mani dismissed it as unsustainable and flawed.
“If you ask me, it’s a wrong solution as cricket should follow the IOC or FIFA model. Either the hosting country should be in a position to give visas and ensure safety or security of the players or officials, or lose the rights,” he said, calling for a more robust and principled framework.
A sport adrift
Mani’s strongest criticism, however, remains aimed at the ICC’s current structure, which he believes has enabled the repeated politicisation of cricket’s marquee events.
“I feel cricket has lost direction for the way ICC is structured today,” he said, summing up his concern about a sport increasingly swayed by off-field agendas.
As the countdown to the T20 World Cup continues, the former ICC chief’s remarks serve as both an indictment and a warning — that without urgent reform, cricket’s biggest events may continue to suffer from crises that could have been avoided.
