'I have never liked politics in sports' - Herschelle Gibbs on BCCI's interference over KPL

The former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs recently accused the Indian board of not allowing him to play in the Kashmir Premier League. He has now opened up about the threats given to him by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over his participation in the league. He pointed out that the board’s interference for him to feature in the inaugural edition of the tournament was sad and disappointing.

Talking about his participation in the league, Gibbs expressed his thoughts on how politics should be kept away from the sport. The former Proteas batter added that he has always enjoyed playing cricket all around the world without any sort of interference. He also highlighted the politics in his home country and asserted that it is sad when politics get involved in sport.

“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,” Gibbs said as reported by Cricket Pakistan.

Herschelle Gibbs lavishes praises on the venue of KPL

The Kashmir Premier League has started on a positive note after having gained 15 million views in three days. The matches of the KPL are being held at Muzaffarabad. Gibbs thus spoke about the beauty of the venue and the location. He also pointed that the tournament has started on a good note as it has produced some entertaining contests.

“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,” he said.