Mumbai: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given an official response to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah’s statement. Jai Shah said on Tuesday that Team India will not tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 and the Asia Cup will be held at a neutral venue. Now the PCB has said that such a statement is against the rules, a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council should be called immediately.
A statement was issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday saying that the Pakistan Cricket Board is shocked and disappointed by the statement made by Asian Cricket Council President Jai Shah. Jay Shah’s statement to shift the Asia Cup to a neutral venue is reprehensible. This statement is sad without talking to any member of the board, without even discussing it with the host. Which can have dire consequences.
The PCB has said in its statement that after a long discussion and support in the Asian Cricket Council meeting, it was decided that the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan, but now Jay Shah’s statement is a violation of these things. This is contrary to the spirit with which the Asian Cricket Council was formed in 1983.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has threatened that such statements could create tension in Asian cricketing countries and international cricket relations and divide countries into factions. Apart from this, it may also affect Pakistan’s 2023 ODI World Cup in India or other cricket matches till 2031. The Pakistan Cricket Board has demanded that an immediate meeting of the Asian Cricket Council be called in this regard. Because no clarification has been given yet by Asian Cricket Council President Jay Shah or his office.
Let us tell you that apart from being the secretary of BCCI, Jai Shah is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Council. After BCCI’s AGM meeting, Jay Shah said that Team India will not tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, the Asia Cup will be held at a neutral venue. This statement of Jai Shah is a big blow for Pakistan. Pakistan has not had international cricket for a long time, now some teams have started going there recently.
Teams like Australia, England, West Indies have toured Pakistan, but India has consistently opposed visiting or playing bilateral cricket with Pakistan. Political relations between India and Pakistan are not good, its effect is also seen on cricket. The two countries currently only play against each other in ICC tournaments. The two met a while ago in the Asia Cup 2022, apart from this the T20 World Cup 2022 will also face each other on October 23 in Melbourne.