The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that it will design its jersey with the official logo in accordance with the rules of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Rohit Sharma and others will take to the field wearing jerseys with the name of Pakistan.
However, earlier, the BCCI had objected to the name of Pakistan on its jersey. But after the instructions from the ICC yesterday, the board announced this decision today.
Regarding the controversy the Indian jersey and the Champions Trophy logo, BCCI secretary Debjit Saikia told cricket-based website Cricbuzz, "We will follow any instructions from the ICC." When he was told that the official logo has Pakistan's name, Saikia again said loudly, "We will follow their (ICC's) instructions."
After such a clear comment, all the remaining rumors have evaporated. This year's Champions Trophy is jointly hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates where the Indian team will play their matches in the United Arab Emirates. Despite talking to the media about the jersey, the BCCI secretary has not yet said anything about the board's position on whether Rohit Sharma will visit Pakistan and participate in the opening ceremony.
According to ICC rules, the design of the kits or jerseys has to be sent to the ICC before the international event. Only after getting approval from there, the players can wear that jersey. And it is mandatory to have the name of the hosting country in the design of the jersey. That is why the jerseys of the participating teams in the 2017 Champions Trophy had 'England and Wales' instead of just 'England'.
The jerseys that the Pakistan team players wore for the 2023 World Cup had the name India in the logo though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not object to the presence of India's name at that time.
It is worth noting that the Indian team has not participated in any bilateral or multilateral cricket series in Pakistan since 2008 due to political reasons. This time, in the face of India's objections, the Champions Trophy will start in February in a hybrid format in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.