NEW DELHI, Oct 19: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday strongly reacted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) general secretary Jay Shah’s statement ruling out India travelling to Pakistan to participate in the 2023 Asia Cup tournament.
Responding officially to the statement from Shah, who is also the president of the Asia Cricket Council, the PCB such a decision could also impact Pakistan’s participation in the ODI world cup to be held in India next year.
Shah while speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the BCCI meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday had hinted that the Asia Cup matched in all likelihood would be shifted out of Pakistan to ensure India’s participation. He had also indicated that such shifting would not be unusual pointing out at the shifting this year of the Asia Cup tournament from Sri Lanka to Dubai after the host country expressed its inability to organise the tournament because of the economic crisis back home.
Expressing concerns about Shah’s statement, the PCB wrote: “The PCB has noted with surprise and disappointment of yesterday’s comments made by the ACC President Mr Jay Shah with regards to shifting of next year’s Asia Cup to a neutral venue. The comments were made without any discussion or consultation with the Board of the Asian Cricket Council or the Pakistan Cricket Board (event host) and without any thoughts towards their long-term consequences and implications.
“After having presided over the ACC meeting during which Pakistan was awarded the ACC Asia Cup with overwhelming support and response from the ACC Board Members, Mr Shah’s statement of shifting of the ACC Asia Cup has clearly been made unilaterally.
“This is contrary to the philosophy and spirit for which the Asian Cricket Council was formed in September 1983 – a united Asian cricket body to safeguard the interests of its Members and organise, develop, and promote the game of cricket in Asia,” PCB said in a letter they posted on social media.
Shah in a statement on Tuesday had said, “The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue. I am saying this as ACC President. We [India] can’t go there [to Pakistan], they can’t come here. In the past also, the Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue,” Shah had said after the 91st BCCI annual general meeting in the presence of new Board president Roger Binny.
While speaking to reporters, he stressed that on the issue of playing with Pakistan, there is a policy in place and the BCCI will follow that. BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, seated next to Shah, explained that the Board will need government clearance to play in Pakistan.
(Manas Dasgupta)
