BCCI secretary Jay Shah's recent statement on the staging of Asia Cup 2023 has created a stir in Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, on Wednesday (October 18) said that India would prefer to play the 2023 edition of Asia Cup at a neutral venue.
Notably, Pakistan is due to host the Asia Cup next year as per Asian Cricket Council's executive board's decision.
"India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue," Shah told reporters after the BCCI AGM in Mumbai.
According to a PTI report, one of the options that the PCB is mulling after Shah's statement is to opt out of the 2023 World Cup in India.
"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 on conditions of anonymity.
The PCB when contacted declined to give an official reaction to Shah's statement.
"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 told PTI.
However, it has been learnt that PCB chairman Ramiz Raja and other senior officials are very upset with Jay Shah’s statement and they have decided to take some hard calls now.
"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 informed PTI.
He said the PCB had been aware that the issue of India travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup was on the BCCI AGM but didn't expect any announcement or statements on this issue at this time.
"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.
The PCB sources further said that Ramiz would be sending a strong letter to the ACC on the matter and would be demanding an emergency meeting of the ACC board to be convened in Melbourne next month to discuss Shah's statement.
The insider also disclosed that the PCB might pull out of ACC membership but would not accept any disruption to its hosting rights.
"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.
(With PTI inputs)
