The BCCI and PCB are at loggerheads again after Jay Shah said the 2023 Asia Cup will be played at a netural venue, prompting the arch-rivals to threaten a boycott of the 2023 World Cup in India.
The hosting rights of the 2023 Asia Cup was awarded to Pakistan by the Asia Cricket Council. Shah is the president of of ACC. The matter of India playing in Pakistan was mentioned in the notes given to the state associations.
“We will play at neutral venue,” said Shah. India haven’t travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup and after the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the situation has become more tense between the two countries.
The PCB is angry as international teams are regularly playing in Pakistan. Sources close to PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that Pakistan are thinking to pull out of the 2023 World Cup.
“PCB is capable of taking hard decisions. The ICC and ACC will suffer financial losses if Pakistan don’t play India in the events,” a senior PCB source told BCCI.
The PCB chairman and other officials are upset with Shah’s statement.
“The PCB is wondering in what capacity Jay Shah given the statement that the ACC will look to relocate the Asia Cup to UAE because the rights were awarded to Pakistan by the executive board of the ACC, not the president,” the PCB source added.
Raja would be sending a letter to the ACC demanding the emergency meeting of the board in Melbourne next month to discuss Shah’s statement.
Pakistan could pull out of the ACC as well.