The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly fuming with BCCI secretary and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Jay Shah for pre-empting their announcement of the Asia Cup 2023 schedule.
PCB had organized a glittering ceremony on July 19, Wednesday, in Lahore which was attended by the chief Zaka Ashraf and several former and current Pakistani team players in which the PCB chief announced the Asia Cup 2023 schedule and also unveiled the trophy.
However, half an hour before the start of the event, Shah announced the schedule on social media.
"The PCB had a clear understanding with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) (that) it would release the schedule of the Asia Cup, five minutes after the ceremony started in Lahore. But unfortunately, half an hour before the ceremony started around 7.15 P.M, Jay Shah had announced it on social media," a PCB source told PTI.
The source said that the decision to announce the schedule by Jay Shah had spoilt the PCB's ceremony, which was held but lost its relevance as the schedule was already out. The board shared their displeasure with the ACC but were told it happened due to a misunderstanding.
“The ACC's explanation was about misunderstandings over the time difference and all that, but the thing is, India is half an hour ahead of Pakistan time, so Jay Shah's announcement was a shock,” the source said.
On the other hand, one more source has said that it appeared that Jay Shah settled scores with the PCB for the unprofessionalism shown by Chief Ashraf and the sports minister, Ahsan Mazari, during the meeting held between Shah and Ashraf in Durban during the ICC AGM.
"It appears as if Jay Shah settled scores after the confusion and questions he had to face over, whether he had accepted an invitation from Zaka to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup matches which was widely circulated by Mazari and the PCB in the media,” the source said.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to start on August 30 in Multan with the hosts Pakistan taking on Nepal in the tournament-opener. India and Pakistan will clash on September 2nd in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan will host three league stage matches and one Super 4s stage encounter in their country, but the rest of the matches involving India and the final will be played in Sri Lanka.
(PTI inputs)
