India’s sports minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that a call on the national side travelling to Pakistan for the next year’s Asia Cup will be taken by the country’s home ministry.
The former BCCI chief said any decision on India making a return to Pakistan for men’s cricket after 15 years will have to be verified first by home minister Amit Shah, who is notably BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s father.
It was junior Shah’s remarks that put the spotlight on the next year edition of the tournament, which is allocated to Pakistan. The president of the Asian Cricket Council, apart from being the BCCI secretary, Shah had told a group of media personnel after the Indian board’s AGM on October 18 that an alternate venue will have to be found for the regional tournament since India “can’t go there”.
Those comments created a massive furore among Pakistan fans and prominent former cricketers, who urged the Pakistan Cricket Board to come up with a strong statement. In their response issued a day later, the PCB in a statement asked how come Shah claimed for the Asia Cup to be moved out of Pakistan without calling in a formal ACC meeting.
The board mentioned that the decision to give Pakistan the hosting rights of the Asia Cup was taken at a meeting presided by Shah, whose comments, their regime said, were made “unilaterally” and can’t have a formal influence without other members of the ACC being kept in the loop.
The PCB also accused Shah’s comments are contrary to the spirit with which the ACC was formed in the first place and said the threat to take the Asia Cup out of Pakistan could also “impact” their decision to send the side across the border for the 2023 World Cup in India.
“After having presided over the ACC meeting during which Pakistan was awarded the ACC Asia Cup with an 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,”
the PCB remarked.
“The overall impact of such statements have the potential to split the Asian and international cricketing communities, and can impact Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and future ICC events in India in the 2024-2031 cycle.”
Thakur, on his part, alluded to the security concerns of the Indian team travelling to Pakistan as one key aspect to look into before the home ministry makes a call next summer. On PCB indicating Pakistan might not travel to India likewise, the former BCCI apex council member said he “expects” the 1992 World Cup champions to be here come October-November 2023.
“All teams who qualify for [the World Cup] are invited [to India]. Many times Pakistan teams have come to India and played. I feel India is not in a position to be dictated [to] and there is no reason for anyone to do that. I expect all countries to come and compete,”
he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
BCCI’s new president Roger Binny reiterated Thakur’s remarks, stating that the decision to send the Indian team to Pakistan is not BCCI’s alone and will have to pass the test of the Indian government, which continues to hold strained political relationships with its Pakistan counterpart.
India and Pakistan haven’t met in a men’s bilateral series since 2012-13, with the two nations locking horns only in multi-team events, including the Asia Cup. India last toured Pakistan for the 2008 edition of the same.
