I Found It Bizarre On BCCI's Interference In My KPL Participation, Reveals Herschelle Gibbs

Former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs said that he found it bizarre about the interference from the Board for Control of Cricket in India‘s (BCCI) to prevent him from participating in the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL).

In July, BCCI had issued statements to various boards that if their foreign players would participate in the KPL then they would be barred from cricket-related activities in India. BCCI’s decision, however, didn’t go well with their counterpart Pakistan Cricket Board as the latter threatened to take the matter to the International Cricket Council.

I find it bizarre that the BCCI interfered all of a sudden: Herschelle Gibbs

Gibbs was also vocal in his stand and took to his Twitter to post the threats the Indian board had made to him which the BCCI had denied. In the latest episode, Gibbs expressed that he travels to any cricket-playing nation and would keep himself away from politics. The South African alleged that he was shocked to seek BCCI’s interference.

“No, there is no pressure on me whatsoever. I have been travelling for so many years to all cricket-playing countries without interference from the BCCI. I found it very strange and bizarre that they wanted to interfere with my business all of a sudden when I was coming to the Kashmir Premier League. For me, it is no politics. I just go where there is cricket being played. Kashmir is another place where they are playing cricket and that is the way I look at it. That is why I find it bizarre that the BCCI interfered all of a sudden and wanted to prevent me from coming here,” Gibbs told Cricket Pakistan.

“It was a little sad in a lot of ways because I have worked lots of times in India and have a lot of friends there. For them to want to step in and interfere and prevent me from coming here and threaten me by saying that I would be denied entry in India is sad and disappointing. I have never liked politics in sports. There is a lot of politics back home in South Africa cricket too. It’s really sad when politics get involved in sports,” he added.

Couldn’t have asked for a better start in KPL: Herschelle Gibbs

The Kashmir Premier League started on August 6 and will end by August 17. The tournament is a six-team contest with all matches to be played in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) area. Gibbs, who confirmed his participation for Overseas Warriors, feels the games have been highly entertaining and also admitted that he didn’t get enough practice time back in his home because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

“It’s beautiful. It’s a wonderful opportunity to play. It’s an inaugural time for the league. It’s nice to be part of a new league for the first time. The location and the venue are fantastic. I think the games have been highly entertaining. I think the league couldn’t have asked for a better start. Entertainment is what T20 cricket is all about and it has been a fantastic start,” Herschelle Gibbs said.

“Because it is winter back home, there hasn’t been any nets available and because of the Covid restrictions back home in South Africa, there weren’t any net facilities I could use indoors. When I arrived, I thought I could have a couple of practice sessions but there are no net facilities on the ground, unfortunately. I think it would be wrong for me to get a game at this stage. It would be unfair since I haven’t practised. But there might be a bit of surprise on the way,” Herschelle Gibbs concluded.

Herschelle Gibbs surrounded himself in a lot of controversies after confirming participation in the disputed Kashmir Premier League.