Earlier BCCI General Secretary Jay Shah declared that India will play next year’s Asia Cup at a neutral venue. Reportedly since then, Pakistan has started contemplating the chance of pulling out from the 2023 ODI World Cup.
As per the Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan is planning to host the next edition of the continental tournament while India will be hosting the one-day world cup in 2023. On Tuesday, at the BCCI AGM in Mumbai, Shah told reporters that “India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.”
According to the news agency PTI, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman (PCB) Ramiz Raja is deeming withdrawing the men’s team from the ODI World Cup in light of the remarks made by Shah who is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
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“The PCB is now prepared to take hard decisions and play hardball because it is also aware that the ICC and ACC events will have to face commercial liabilities and losses if Pakistan does not play India in these multi-team events,” a senior PCB source told PTI.
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Notably, India has not visited Pakistan since 2008 and the bilateral cricket ties between the two teams remain suspended. PCB meanwhile has refused to give an official reaction to the development.
“We have nothing to say at the moment but yes we will look at things and take up this matter at appropriate forums like the ICC board meeting in Melbourne next month,” a spokesperson said.
The statement from Shah though has irked Raza and other senior PCB officers reported PTI. “The PCB officials are surprised at the timing of Jay Shah’s statement because there is still nearly a year to go before the Asia Cup is held in Pakistan in September 2023,” one insider said.
“The PCB is wondering in what capacity has Jay Shah given the statement that the ACC will look to relocate the Asia Cup to UAE out of Pakistan because the hosting rights were awarded by the executive board of the ACC, not the President,” the PCB source said.
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