MUMBAI- BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday made it clear that India won’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year and will instead push for a neutral venue.
The 2023 edition, which will be played in the 50 over format ahead of the ODI World Cup in India, has been allotted to Pakistan.
“We have decided we will not travel to Pakistan. We will play at a neutral venue,” said Shah, who also happens to be the Asian Cricket Council president, after the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) here. He was re-elected as secretary for a second term.
The 2022 Asia Cup was held in the UAE last month after hosts Sri Lanka expressed their inability to host the event amid the economic crisis back home.
India and Pakistan only play each other in Asia Cup and global events due to political tensions between the two countries.
Both teams played twice in the Asia Cup last month and are set to clash in Melbourne on October 23 in the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan retaliate over Asia Cup venue change
In a strong reaction to BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s statement that India would prefer to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, Pakistan threatened to pull out of next year’s World Cup in India.
Sources close to PCB chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that one of the options that they are mulling after Shah’s statement is to pull out of the 50-over ICC World Cup in India.
The PCB sources said that Raja 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.
