In what was really an expected move, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), has confirmed that not only India will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year, but the ACC is also set to move the tournament out of Pakistan and host it at a neutral venue, once again possibly the UAE.
Earlier this year, the ACC, headed by Jay Shah, had given Pakistan the hosting of the Asia Cup 2023, which will be played in the ODI format as a pre-cursor to the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Now, however, Shah has made a U-turn. It seems that the board won’t have the clearance of the government to travel to Pakistan for the continental tournament.
“Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” Jay Shah said on Tuesday. “I have decided that we will play at a neutral venue.”
Ramiz Raja-led PCB furious with Jay Shah’s statement, threatens to pull out of 2023 World Cup in India
Jay Shah’s statement – of India not travelling to Pakistan and the tournament being shifted to a neutral venue – created a stir in social media and forced the PCB to have an immediate meeting. The PCB now, led by head Ramiz Raja, has threatened to pull out of the ODI World Cup next year which will be staged in India, and to take the matters to the ICC.
“The PCB is now prepared to take hard decisions and play hard ball 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.
“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.
This stance from the PCB led to a memefest on Twitter as fans roasted the Pakistan board:
https://t.co/leEBFkYr4X pic.twitter.com/EgX0Vj6WzL
— sh_nuu2 (@Nuu2Sh) October 19, 2022
pulling out of the wc for an asia cup peak clownery 😭 https://t.co/fMuO069kF5
— MJ. (@aye_Ziindagi) October 19, 2022
Unka Baap bhi ayega,na aayein doesn’t matter consider it as an implicit boycott upon Pakistan. https://t.co/hBmmyTOEtq
— Angad Singh Khanna (@AngadSKhanna1) October 19, 2022
BCCI and ICC to Pakistan Cricket Board: https://t.co/ydcyp70lye pic.twitter.com/RDNSsopdpH
— Hemant (@Hemantitachi) October 18, 2022
pulling out of the wc for an asia cup,,, pls this is clownery. SOMEONE STOP THEM https://t.co/WVopqaD1NH
— komal (@deewanikth) October 18, 2022
Another source was quoted by Insidesport, stating that the PCB is also mulling over leaving the Asian Cricket Council!
“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.
“One option under consideration will be to pull out of the ACC as the PCB believes the ACC was formed to promote and develop cricket in the region and forge unity among the member nations. But the President of the ACC is going to give statements like these, there is no use for Pakistan to remain in the body,” he added.
