Andy Roberts calls ICC the 'Indian Cricket Board'

West Indies cricket legend and former fast bowler Andy Roberts has openly criticised the International Cricket Council (ICC), alleging that it favours the Indian cricket board.

Speaking about India's influence in world cricket, Roberts stated, "India was given an advantage in last year's T20 World Cup as well. They already knew where they would play their semi-final. How is it possible that a team does not have to travel at all in a tournament?"

Expressing his frustration, the former pacer said, "The ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow India says there should be no no-balls or wide balls, the ICC will find a way to make it happen."

Roberts concluded by saying, "India cannot have everything its way. The ICC must stand up to them and say no."

Despite the criticism, Rohit Sharma defended India's position, stating that his team also had to adapt to Dubai's conditions like any other location.

"It's not like we know what's going to happen on these pitches. It's not our home either. We don't play many matches here, so it's new for us as well," Rohit said before India's semi-final against Australia.

India lifted the Champions Trophy after defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final. 

It merits mention that the tournament was officially hosted in Pakistan. However, India played all their matches in Dubai after the BCCI took a stance, claiming that the Indian government had refused permission for the team to travel to Pakistan.

As a result, a hybrid model was adopted, with India's matches being played in Dubai while other teams had to shuttle between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) multiple times besides playing matches in different Pakistani cities. This travel-heavy schedule has sparked debates about fairness, with players expressing concerns over fatigue and competitive disadvantages.

This travel-heavy schedule has sparked debates about fairness, with players expressing concerns over fatigue and competitive disadvantages. 

Based on a report by the Reddit page r/Cricket (1.7 million members), here is how much teams travelled during the event, and the disparity is striking.

India: 0 KM (All matches played in Dubai)
England & Afghanistan: 1,020 km 
Bangladesh: 1,953 km
Australia: 2,509 km
Pakistan: 3,133 km
South Africa: 3,286 km
New Zealand: 7,048 km

While finalists New Zealand, in particular, faced the biggest travel burden, covering over 7,000 km, India made it to the final, comfortably in Dubai without any travel stress.

Pakistan, despite being the official host, had to travel over 3,100 km, while Australia also endured over 2,500 km of travel before the crucial knockout matches.