If winning an ICC trophy is the only criterion then teams like New Zealand and South Africa should be banned: Kamran Akmal

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has opined that teams like New Zealand and South Africa should be banned since they have hardly won in International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments despite having successfully made the knockouts in the last few decades.

Akmal made this statement while analyzing India’s inability to win a major ICC tournament after the Champions Trophy 2013 in England & Wales under the talismanic skipper MS Dhoni. The Men in Blue had made the semis of the last year’s T20 World Cup down under before their campaign came to an abrupt end following a humiliating 10-wicket defeat at the hands of the eventual champions, England.

You can't win every ICC event- Kamran Akmal

"People talk about India having not won an ICC event for 10 years. You can't win every ICC event. And if winning an ICC trophy is the only criterion then teams like New Zealand and South Africa should be banned since they haven't won any. So this is just a pick. India is a great team and is playing at a different level," said Akmal on Paktv.tv.

New Zealand only have two ICC titles. They had won the ICC Knockout Trophy in 2000 under Stephen Fleming and the inaugural WTC final in June 2021 under Kane Williamson. Both those victories came against India.

South Africa on the other hand had won the inaugural edition of the ICC Champions Trophy (then known as Knockout Trophy) back in 1998. While India have succeeded in making the knockouts of most of the ICC tournaments since their 2013 Champions Trophy triumph, they ran out of fire and brimstone in crunch matches that eventually ended up halting their progress.

 The Indian team finished as the finalists of the 2014 T20 World Cup, 2017 Champions Trophy and the inaugural WTC summit clash in 2021. They were the losing semi-finalists of the 2015 and 2019 editions of the ODI World Cup as well as the 2016 and 2022 editions of the T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue have a perfect chance to rewrite history when they host the 50-over World Cup in October-November this year.

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