'India have made themselves strong'

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has shared his views on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's stance on the Indian team not travelling to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup.

The International Cricket Council, Afridi said, should step in to resolve the issue though he doubted if the ICC can strong arm the BCCI.

"India agar aankhe dikha raha hain (If India is showing you their eyes) or taking such a strong stance, then they have made themselves that strong, hence they are being able to talk like this, otherwise they wouldn't have the courage,' Afridi said during an interaction with Samaa TV.

'At the end it's making yourself strong and then take decisions.'

Afridi, who recently served as the Pakistan Cricket Board's interim chief selector, added that the ICC's role remained pivotal if India didn't budge from its position on touring Pakistan.

'Will India visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup? Will we boycott the ODI World Cup in India? We need to take a stand at some point or the other.'

BCCI Secretary and Asian Cricket Council President Jay Amit Shah -- whose father Amit A Shah is India's home minister -- had stated that owing to the current state of relations between India and Pakistan, an Indian team playing the Asia Cup in Pakistan was out of the question.

The issue will now be taken up when the Asian Cricket Council reconvenes in Dubai in March.