Recently, it was rumored that the BCCI is willing to send Team India to the upcoming 2023 Asia Cup, which will be held in Pakistan. However, in a recent press interaction, BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that India will not play Asia Cup if it is held in Pakistan. He said that a neutral venue would be chosen for the Asia Cup.
Shah stated that there had been precedence in the past of the continental event being shifted to a neutral venue. He said that India hasn’t travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup. After the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks that year, India pulled out of the scheduled bilateral series in early 2009. Since then, India didn’t play in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan visited India in 2012 for a short bilateral series but after that, it didn’t come here as well.
On the flip side, sources close to Pakistan Cricket Board revealed that PCB chairman Ramiz Raja is irked by Jay Shah’s decision. Apparently, PCB decided to pull out of the 50-over World Cup that will be held in India next year if the neighboring country doesn’t visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup. However, we didn’t get official word from the PCB yet on this issue.
