BCCI secretary Jay Shah's recent statement regarding the staging of Asia Cup 2023 has created a stir in the Pakistan cricket fraternity.
Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, on Tuesday (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.
Amid the recent development, former Pakistan skipper Younis Khan and ex-wicketkeeper batter Kamran Akmal have said that even if India refuse to take part PCB should host the Asia Cup 2023 in Pakistan.
They further added that if such a situation arises in the future then Pakistan should consider not travelling to India for the ODI World Cup next year.
“I think Jay Shah should not have said that but since the bullet has been fired I would ask the PCB to take a firm stance on this issue, just like we did in the past [after New Zealand called off Pakistan’s tour at the eleventh hour] and as you know those teams have begun to tour the country,” said Younis while speaking on ARY News.
“But if they [BCCI] decide to stick with their decision then it should not matter to us if the Indian team does not participate in Asia Cup and we should consider not travelling to India for the ODI World Cup the following year, nor we should agree to host Asia Cup at a neutral venue,” he added.
While Akmal echoed Younis’ sentiment, he went a step ahead and called for a complete boycott against India, including the upcoming clash at the T20 World Cup 2022 at MCG on Sunday (October 23).
“I believe Jay Shah’s statement was unexpected, and since he attended the Pakistan-India game during this year’s Asia Cup, he should reserve politics for his opposition and avoid dragging it into sports,” Kamran Akmal stated.
“Asia Cup should only be hosted in Pakistan and if that does not happen then Pakistan should not play against India at any level, be it ICC events’ matches, Asia Cup matches, or even their match on October 23,” he added.
Meanwhile, PCB on Wednesday (October 19) issued a statement, threatening to withdraw from the next year’s ICC ODI World Cup in India.
"The PCB has noted with surprise and disappointment of yesterday's comments made by the ACC President Mr. Jay Shah with regards to shifting of next year's Asia Cup to a neutral venue. The comments were made without any discussion or consultation with the Board of the Asian Cricket Council or the Pakistan Cricket Board (event host) and without any thoughts towards their long-term consequences and implications," PCB said in a release.
“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,” it added.
(ARY News inputs)
