THE Champions League T20 is the biggest mockery of its name. The imbalanced nature of the competition is its greatest flaw.

It is strange as to why the Indian Cricket Council (ICC) outcast the cricket boards of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and the West Indies as if they were pariah. Why are all teams silent on this mockery of the CLT20 tournament?

Had the CLT20 been a private tournament, there would have been no harm in having its own rules. But the way the ICC blindly gave its approval to the farce of CLT20, it degrades the ICC and raises many questions on the integrity, transparency and reputation of the international cricket body.

With four IPL teams, two South African franchises and two Australian gaining automatic entry into the event, the rest are right to feel a little left out.

Of the remaining full-member countries, two — Zimbabwe and Bangladesh — were not even invited to qualify, while the other five were given two spots to fight over.

Even those were not evenly handed out as England were allowed two teams in qualifying while Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka were only permitted one each.

Why were there qualification rounds for other teams and world record-holder Sialkot Stallions when, besides the IPL winning team, three other IPL losing teams got entry without the qualifying rounds?

From the above, it is clear that the treatment being meted out by the ICC to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies and Pakistan cricket boards is pathetic and deplorable, to say the least. Here I am reminded of a saying: “You can only be insulted to the extent you permit”.

It will be in the interest of Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies and Pakistan cricket boards to stand up before the ICC -— the Indian Cricket Council — and be counted before they are further humiliated and ridiculed.

S. NAYYARUDDIN AHMAD Lahore