India faces Pakistan in their T20 World Cup 2022 opener on Sunday (October 23) at the MCG.
Roger Binny, the new Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president, said on Thursday (October 20) that the ongoing conflict between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the upcoming Asia Cup will not affect the cricketers when they clash in T20 World Cup 2022.
The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan is slated on Sunday (October 23) at the MCG.
Speaking to India Today, Binny underlined that the BCCI cannot make decisions on India's travel to Pakistan on its own and that the board will obey the government of India's decision in this regard.
The BCCI and PCB have been at odds over the venue for the Asia Cup 2023. Pakistan, which currently holds the hosting rights for the Asian tournament, would be in charge of hosting it, however BCCI secretary and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah said earlier this week that they would seek to have the tournament held in a neutral location.
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The PCB strongly objected to Shah's remarks by threatening to boycott the upcoming World Cup in India in 2023. After the PCB was granted the hosting rights during a meeting Shah presided over, the Pakistani board said that it was unexpected to hear him suggest a neutral site for the multi-national tournament.
Binny, though, was of the opinion that this issue will be talked about a lot but cricketers are not to be blamed for it.
"I don’t think it affects the cricketers. These things will be spoken about. You can’t blame the BCCI, you can’t blame the cricketers for it. It’s something that we have to take in stride," he said.
"In the past, when India were to host the last Asia Cup, we didn’t do it. We gave it to the UAE to do it because Pakistan couldn’t come in over here. We can’t change things overnight. It will have to take some more time. When the time is right, we will start playing Pakistan again," he added.
The former cricketer turned administrator also addressed the intense hype surrounding India vs. Pakistan matches in tournaments, stating that the players probably don't feel as much pressure as the fans do.
"Pressure is built up outside the team, I think. There is a lot of hype, it’s the public that builds up the pressure. They are more tensed than the players. It’s all very well for the public to get behind the players and get them to do well," he added.
(INDIA TODAY INPUTS)