In a recent speech, famous West Indies and Royal Challengers (RCB) batsman Chris Gayle sparked controversy in the cricketing world by questioning the influence of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Gayle emphasised India's dominating position in world cricket administration, stating that nothing can challenge the BCCI's authority.

Gayle's statements appear to be sparked by the current controversy regarding the rescheduling of the T20 World Cup, which was apparently done to better suit the Indian audience—a move that some fans have criticised. This decision highlighted India's huge economic power when organising international cricket events.

"No one can speak to India. India runs cricket, you know? It’s a fact. Who is going to talk to India? Who is going to challenge India? No one. They control cricket," Gayle was quoted as saying by DafaNews.

He also suggested creating a distinct window in the cricket calendar exclusively for the Indian Premier League (IPL). This strategic separation aims to prevent clashes with international fixtures, thereby ensuring that players do not face the dilemma of choosing between national duty and lucrative franchise opportunities.

He further highlighted the difference in financial rewards between international cricket and franchise-based leagues like the IPL. He argued for an increase in pay for international cricketers to enable them not to run after franchise cricket, where they get more than playing for their nation, 

"From ICC's point of view - maybe they're not bringing a lot of revenue, (or) a lot of marketing products for the game, but we still have to pay them. We just have to step up the gear money-wise and just look after the players because the game has changed, man. It's reality. The game has changed. It's business. It's all about the paper.”

“There's no loyalty there anymore within the game. It's all about the paper. We can't stop a player, which the issues have been going on for so many years, where a player chooses a franchise over his country. You cannot fault a player for that. There's no way you can fault any player for that because at the end of the day, it's still their livelihood, it's still their job, and they're still playing cricket.”