Dm Monitoring
NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president has said.
Jay Shah, son of infamous Indian politician Amit Shah known for emitting venom against Pakistan and being one of the top anti-Pakistan BJP leader, who is also secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said on Tuesday that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue.
“The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue,” Shah told the media after a BCCI annual general meeting. “It’s the government which decides over the permission of our team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue.
“I am saying this as ACC President. We [India] can’t go there [to Pakistan], they can’t come here. In the past also, Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue.”
There has been no official announcement from the ACC.
Pakistan and India have not played a bilateral series since 2012. Pakistan last visited India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup while India’s last tour of Pakistan was for the Asia Cup in 2008.
The last time they faced off in a Test series was 2007.
Pakistan and India last played each other in this year’s Asia Cup that took place in the United Arab Emirates.
The teams are also set to play their T20 World Cup opener in Melbourne on October 23.
Matches between the two ignite great fervour but have also defused military tensions between the two nations, which have fought four wars since independence from British rule in 1947.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has not yet responded to Shah’s comments. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s high-ups put their heads together after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s secretary Jay Shah said India will not tour Pakistan for Asia Cup next year.
On the sidelines of BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Shah told Indian media that India will not go to Pakistan next year for the Asia Cup.
“Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” said Shah, who is also the president of Asia Cricket Council (ACC).
Following the decision PCB is considering different options to react to India’s decision. “PCB is looking at different options, among them, one is the possibility of parting ways with the ACC,” unconfirmed reports say.
Pakistan is scheduled to host Asia Cup based on the 50-overs format next year. Later in the same year, India is scheduled to host ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
