Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, Shahid Afridi is displeased with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah’s statement regarding India's decision of not traveling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. With the decision being announced right on the eve of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, Afridi has claimed India lack ‘cricket administration experience.’
During a BCCI annual general meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, 18 October, Shah confirmed that India will not be touring Pakistan for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup.
Being the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), he also confirmed that the competition will be held at a neutral venue instead.
“The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue. I am saying this as ACC President. We (Indian cricket team) can't go there (Pakistan), they (Pakistan cricket team) can't come here (India). In the past also, Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue,” Shah said during a media interaction after the AGM, where Roger Binny was appointed as the new BCCI president.
The BCCI secretary’s statement did not go down well with Afridi, who tweeted “When excellent comradery between the 2 sides in the past 12 months has been established that has created good feel-good factor in the 2 countries, why BCCI Secy will make this statement on the eve of #T20WorldCup match? Reflects lack of cricket administration experience in India.”
PCB Contemplating Reiteration
India and Pakistan met twice recently in Asia Cup 2022, and will also cross paths on 23 October, in what will be the campaign opener for both teams at the T20 World Cup 2022. In a press conference prior to the event, the captains of the two teams, Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam were seen sharing a laugh.
Besides Afridi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are also exasperated with BCCI’s decision to not travel to Pakistan. According to reports in the Pakistani media outlet Geo News, the PCB top brass met for a meeting in Lahore, where they contemplated pulling out of ACC and also the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 if the next edition of the Asia Cup is relocated to a neutral venue.
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