Earlier this year, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that the Men's ODI Asia Cup 2023 will take place in September and India-Pakistan would be in the same group along with a Qualifying team.
However, there’s still uncertainty over the venue of Asia Cup 2023. Pakistan have the hosting rights but BCCI secretary Jay Shah has time and again reiterated that India will not travel and the event would be shifted to a neutral venue.
As of today, the Pakistan Cricket Board has not agreed to the demand, leading to a deadlock. In fact, after the ACC meeting in Bahrain last month, the PCB threatened to boycott the 2023 ODI World Cup in India if the arch-rivals refuse to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, PCB chairman Najam Sethi on Monday (March 13) said he is exploring all options for this year’s Asia Cup and World Cup, saying it's time to "take a clear position".
Sethi will also raise these issues in the next Asian Cricket Council and ICC meetings.
"We have complex issues on hand but for me when I go to the ACC and ICC meetings I have kept all options open for us and we have to take a clear position now," he said at a press conference.
"I have kept my options open because when all teams are coming to Pakistan and have no issues with security. Then why is India worried about the security. In the same way we can also have security concerns over sending our team to India for the World Cup and I will be bringing this to the table at the coming meetings," the PCB chief added.
The ICC CEO and Executive Board meetings are being held this month with Sethi and other officials representing the PCB at the meetings.
"Obviously we don't support this stance (by India) because we want to hold the Asia Cup and remember it is not just about the Asia Cup and World Cup it is also about the Champions Trophy in 2025 in Pakistan," Sethi said.
"I had sought advice from the government and the situation is that we have to go by what our patron in chief tells us to do. If he says go and play in World Cup even if India doesn't come for Asia Cup, what can we do? If he says don't go it is a similar situation for us."
Sethi said the Pakistan government was yet to decide on whether Pakistan will play in the World Cup if India doesn't come for the Asia Cup.
"We will take all these things into consideration at the coming meetings."
(With PTI Inputs)
