World cricket needs BCCI, asserts Anurag Thakur

New Delhi: Embattled president of Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) on Friday asserted that world cricket needs Indian board to survive. His message was clearly meant for the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"If anyone thinks that they can work without BCCI, they should know global cricket needs BCCI," the 42-year-old was quoted as saying by PTI.

The relationship between cricket's world governing body and the sport's richest and arguably most powerful cricket body has seen a new low in recent months when the ICC opted not to invite BCCI at its Working Group meetings.

The Indian board, according to reports, considers this move from the ICC as a deliberate attempt, at the behest of its independent chairman Shashank Manohar, to keep BCCI out of the picture.

Thakur also raised questions about how Indian Test captain Virat Kohli was ignored in the ICC's Test Team of the Year.

"ICC should look into the matter as India is No.1 Test team. But I am happy that Ashwin has been adjudged Test Cricketer of the Year."

Kohli led India to fifth successive series win with 4-0 victory over England, and the right-handed batsman himself emerged as one of the leading figures in the game.

But Kohli failed to make the 12-man ICC Test team to the surprise of everyone. Ravichandran Ashwin was the lone Indian to figure in the list, which is captained by England skipper Alastair Cook.

The Indian batsman was however honoured with the One-Day International captainship, which also included Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja.

(With PTI inputs)