Lawrence Booth, editor of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, has criticised the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for its close alignment with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In his latest editorial, Booth wrote that the BCCI has become “the sporting adjunct of India’s ruling BJP” and that the relationship was no longer subtle.
Booth cited several examples, including India captain Suryakumar Yadav dedicating a victory over Pakistan to the armed forces, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media post likening the win to “Operation Sindoor” – a military operation that had left dozens dead on both sides of the border. “The idea that cricket was now a legitimate proxy for more lethal activity was hammered home,” Booth wrote.
The editorial also highlighted the refusal of the Indian team to receive the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the Asian Cricket Council chairman and Pakistan’s interior minister, and the failure of Yadav and Pakistan captain Salman Agha to shake hands at the T20 World Cup. Booth described the Asia Cup as “tit-for-tat farce” with tasteless gestures about fighter planes.
Booth additionally noted the case of Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL but then dropped under BCCI pressure, allegedly in retaliation for the murder of Hindu men in Bangladesh. “The fate of Mustafizur confirmed cricket’s descent into the hands of its political masters,” Booth wrote. Bangladesh subsequently pulled out of the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup after the ICC refused its request to move matches outside India.
Booth contrasted this with the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India’s demand for a neutral venue was accommodated. “Cricket has become an important piece on the BJP’s geopolitical chessboard,” he concluded.
