The word from BCCI secretary and Asian Cricket Council president Jay Shah came to light after the conclusion of the BCCI AGM in Mumbai, leading to doubts about where the 50-over tournament will now be held. The Asia Cup 2023 was being considered a key part of Pakistan Cricket Board’s build-up towards hosting the Champions Trophy 2025 on Pakistan shores.
“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, Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue,”
Shah told the press after BCCI’s AGM.
Present alongside him for the media briefing on India’s stance on travelling to Pakistan were the new set of BCCI office-bearers.
Even though he is the ACC president, Shah couldn’t have spoken on behalf of anyone but the Indian board as the ACC is yet to meet for a formal discussion on hosting the next year’s Asia Cup in Pakistan.
Why, the BCCI secretary’s remarks haven’t gone down well within the PCB regime. Led by Ramiz Raja, PCB would’ve earmarked the tournament as an integral part of their organisational plans, especially in respect of further transforming perceptions about Pakistan as a safe cricket-hosting destination.
ESPNcricinfo reported a PCB spokesperson stating on the matter that the board wouldn’t be immediately reacting to Shah’s comments but a “robust response” should not be ruled out.
“There is, for instance, already talk within the board of leaving the ACC,”
claimed the report, with PCB expected to soon write in a complaint to the ACC.
The remarks by Shah, alleging it is already decided that India won’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, might also put the successive ICC events under threat. With India due to host the 2023 World Cup and Pakistan set to welcome the Champions Trophy come early 2025, there might be a case for even PCB to come up with a stance, denying travelling to India for next year’s showpiece event, likewise India not wanting to revisit Pakistan. Pakistan nearly didn’t arrive for the 2016 T20 World Cup on Indian shores, for example, until a last-minute government clearance and venue-shifting of a few of their matches.
How, in such a scenario, the two events will go ahead will pose a major headache for the ICC, which is not in a position to comment on India’s Asia Cup stance right now. India last played in Pakistan at another Asia Cup back in 2008 and have been meeting their arch-rivals only in multi-team events since then, bar a bilateral series in 2012-13 at home, due to strained political relationships.
The Asia Cup has provided a regular meeting ground for the two giants of the region. The two sides clashed twice at the recent edition of the same in Dubai and are set to lock horns for the T20 World Cup 2022 at the MCG on October 23. The PCB would be aggrieved at Shah’s remarks, not just because he spoke informally and purely on behalf of BCCI but also since the board has done a remarkable job in boosting the security available for international cricket in Pakistan.
The board has safely hosted trips from South Africa, England and Australia over the past two years, in the aftermath of which, it would be interesting to follow on what grounds BCCI ask for neutral grounds to be used at the ACC meetings regarding the next year’s regional event.
