It will be my greatest joy if Pak doesn't make into SF: Binny

Bengaluru: The BCCI president Roger Binny has said it will be his greatest joy if Pakistan does not make into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, but cricket is a funny game, anything can happen any time.

"I think it will be difficult for Pakistan to make it to the semifinals. It will be my greatest joy and wish if that happens, but cricket is a funny game, anything can happen anytime," he told reporters here on late Friday night replying to a query on Pakistan's semifinal chances in the ongoing world cup after being felicitated for becoming BCCI President.

Pakistan on Thursday had lost their Super-12 match to Zimbabwe in a low-scoring thriller by just 1 run in the final over of the match. They will face Bangladesh in a must-win match at Perth on Sunday.

"It is good that the junior teams are coming up. Zimbabwe and Ireland have proved it in this T20 World Cup. You cannot take the smaller teams lightly anymore. They can easily beat you," he said.

Replying to a query, Binny said people should appreciate the exceptional display put up by India to win the match against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup instead of debating on Virat Kohli smashing a six off final over no-ball that was not reviewed by the umpires.

"When you lose the game, you should take it squarely and fairly, people should appreciate the way India played to win the game," he said.

The debate erupted when Kohli pulled a high full toss off Mohammad Nawaz for a six which was declared no-ball by the square leg umpire. Criticism poured when the decision was not reviewed.However, ICC rules clearly state that no-balls can only be reviewed after a dismissal.

Earlier, Binny was felicitated by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) where 600 members attended including KSCA Managing Committee Members, Executive Committee Members, Life Members, Institutional Members and Associates, Ex-Office Bearers, former Indian cricketers and former and present first class cricketers among others.

The great Gundappa R Vishwanath and former India batsman and KSCA President Brijesh Patel and the present officer-bearers felicitated Binny, who was also a member of Team India that won the 1983 ODI World Cup in England.

Binny was gung ho about Kohli's exceptional innings against Pakistan, though."You never see such matches where most of the time the match was in Pakistan's favour and all of a sudden it came back to India. Good for the game as it is what the crowd wants to see," Binny told reporters here late Friday night.

Replying to a query, Binny said Kohli does not have to prove his mettle as he is a class act, and brings out his best in pressure situations. "It was a dream innings. Couldn't realise the way the ball was being hit in the park by Kohli. It was a fantastic victory," he said.

Thanking KSCA for felicitating him, Binny said it was one of his most memorable days at the KSCA as he never had such a good reception by fellow members of the committee and colleagues of the KSCA.

"I have never had such a good rapport with them. Happy to be a part of the KSCA as I've served it for 50 years as a cricketer, from U-19 in 1973 to the right until now and proud of being a Karnataka player," he said."They should have had a reserve day as they had in the 1983 World Cup. They could have done that," he added.(UNI)