‘If India don’t want no-balls and wides, they’ll get that too’

West Indies pace great Sir Andy Roberts has joined his fellow Antiguan Sir Vivian Richards in pointing out the oddity of India playing all their Champions Trophy games at one venue Dubai while other teams had to travel to Pakistan and backldquoSomethingrsquos got to givehellip India canrsquot get everything The ICC International Cricket Council must say no to India at times India even had an advantage at last yearrsquos T20 World Cup where they knew in advance where their semifinal would be played in GuyanaldquoAt the Champions Trophy India did not have to travel at all How can a team not travel during a tournamentrdquo asked Roberts as India were working their way to their third Champions Trophy triumph on SundayAlso ReadlsquoI Just hung in therersquoRichards was recently quoted as saying on several websites that the ICC has to come up with answers for the absurd travel schedules other teams had to endure ldquoI donrsquot want to get into the political side of things But I believe the people who are responsible in terms of the governing and the ruling of the game in itself which is the ICChellip theyrsquore the ones who I think got the problem I would like them to come up with an answer why If they are the governing body of cricket why is that happening at present I honestly believe one of the things that can bring all of us together fans and everyone even enemies together is sportsrdquo said Richards when he was in India as a member of the International Masters League advisory boardldquoIt is not fair itrsquos not cricket There has to be a level playing field I know a lot of money comes from India but cricket ought not to be a onecountry sport It now looks like a onenation competition and the playing field is not levelldquoTo me the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board India dictates everything If tomorrow India says lsquolisten there should be no noballs and widesrsquo take my word the ICC will find a way to satisfy Indiardquo said 74yearold Roberts who figured in the 1975 1979 and 1983 World Cups He was coach of the West Indies team at the 1996 World Cup where they lost in the semifinal In 47 Tests he claimed 202 wicketsThe Indian camp has not taken criticism lying down Head coach Gautam Gambhir slammed critics who felt India had an unfair advantage by being in one city ldquoWhat undue advantage We havenrsquot practised here at the Dubai Stadium even for a day We practise in the ICC academy And the conditions there and here are 180 degrees differentrdquo he told reporters ldquoIf you look at the wickets there and here therersquos a huge difference Some people are just perpetual cribbers We didnrsquot have any undue advantagerdquoAmong the players South Africarsquos David Miller opened up on the crazy travel schedules His views were accepted by Ravichandran Ashwin But the retired India offspin great put things in perspective on his YouTube channel ldquoIn the 2023 World Cup we played at nine different venues I was with the team I travelled with the team I agree with David Miller a oneandahalf hour flight does increase lactic acid in your body But you must understand it is not in the Indian teamrsquos hands The ICC has made the fixtures This schedule was decided even before an Indian became ICC chiefrdquo