Asia Cup to move out of Pak: BCCI
MUMBAI: The 2023 Asia Cup scheduled in Pakistan is in doubt with the Indian cricket board (BCCI) making it public that the tournament will take place at a neutral venue. “I told my members at the AGM that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) told reporters. “We (India) can’t go there, they (Pakistan) can’t come here. In the past also the Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue.”
“We are surprised and disappointed by the statement,” a PCB spokesperson said later in the evening.
When the Asia Cup hosting rights were awarded to Pakistan, it was understood that India’s participation would be dependent on government advice. Now with Shah making it clear that ‘it had been decided that India would not play Asian Cup in Pakistan, it also poses a question mark on the 2025 ICC Champions trophy scheduled in Pakistan. “That’s quite far away. The government will take the call and we will abide by it,” BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla said.
While the ICC has publicly maintained that they were confident of Pakistan’s hosting rights, they are known to have got backup plans in place. “We know that it is a particularly challenging issue to work through. From my point of view, I can’t control geopolitical forces working on what we do,” ICC chairman Greg Barclay had said last year.
BCCI has also made it clear in their Future Tours Program (2024-27) that there will continue to be a freeze on bilateral cricket with Pakistan. The two countries haven’t played a bilateral series for more than a decade and a decision on resumption in cricket-ties would require a shift in stance by the respective governments. India and Pakistan have continued to play each other at ICC events and the arch-rivals will be facing off against each other on Sunday at Melbourne to kick off their T20 World Cup campaigns. The two nations have also been playing each other in Asia Cups, but at neutral venues. India last played an Asia Cup in Pakistan in 2008.