MM News

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board is reported to have written letter to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), apprising them of Indian refusal to visit Pakistan for 2023 Asia Cup, asking them to convene an emergency meeting Melbourne next month.

The move came when the Indian Cricket Board, BCCI announced yesterday that it would not travel to Pakistan for playing Asia Cup, scheduled to be held next year. BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as having said that neutral venue for Asia Cup was not unprecedented. He said “we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan.”

Also read: India not to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup: BCCI

Responding to the Indian move, sources told MM News that the PCB had not only written an urgent letter to the ACC, seeking to convene emergency meeting, but has also been weighing options to pull out of the ICC World Cup in India next year.

On condition of anonymity, a source said “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.”

It may be mentioned here that the hosting rights for the 50-over Asia Cup had been given to Pakistan by the Asian Cricket Council. Jay Shah is the president of the ACC. However, prior to the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, a circular was passed around to the board’s members that the Asia Cup would be played in Pakistan. When the meeting ended, multiple cricket websites quoted Shah as saying that the BCCI had decided to play the cup at a neutral venue.

It is also worth mentioning that India hasn’t played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asian Cup. Following the November terrorist attacks that year, the bilateral series in early 2009 was cancelled.