Barkley said, “I was at the top of the game and I couldn't tell you which team around the world we were playing against until I saw Marco Jansson's seven-wicket haul this morning. Till then I did not know that this is not good for the game in Sri Lanka. The calendar is so busy and there is so much selfishness in it. solve and also Difficult because no one is ready to step back.
Barkley said that he is hopeful that Shah will be able to take advantage of India's stature and prove successful in taking the game out of this crisis. He said, “I think India has got this golden opportunity to take the game to another level but they have to do it without India putting pressure on world cricket. We are all lucky to have India because They (India) have made huge contributions to the game in many ways but having all the power in one country also affects other outcomes, which is not good for global development.”
He further added, “Jai has the potential to further promote India at the international level. There are many things India can do to promote the game globally and ensure a sense of togetherness This includes using their teams to gain broadcasting rights, opportunities for smaller full member countries and emerging countries, and using their influence to open up new areas.”
Another burning issue during Barkley's tenure was the Taliban government not allowing the Afghanistan women's team to play. Fielding a women's team is one of the solid foundations for achieving full membership. But amidst all the demands to cancel the membership of Afghanistan team, Barkley said that the decision of not canceling the membership of Afghanistan was right.
He said, “It is not the fault of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). They used to have a women's team. I think our decision was right. It would have been easy to exclude Afghanistan but the board had not made any mistake. They were just following orders. And I don't think throwing him out would make any difference to the ruling party there, but I think it's a big thing for the good of cricket there. There is strength and it brings joy to many people's faces.”
However, Barkley also commented on the duplicity of cricket boards like Cricket Australia (CA), when CA canceled bilateral series against Afghanistan on several occasions but had no objection to playing against Afghanistan in ICC tournaments.
“If you really want to send a political signal, then don't even play them in the World Cup. Even if it means losing your semi-final spot, principles are principles.”
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