Pak retaliate over Asia Cup venue change, threaten to skip 2023 WC

On Tuesday, in a strong reaction to BCCI secretary Jay Shah's statement that India would prefer to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, Pakistan threatened to pull out of next year's World Cup in India.

Pakistan is scheduled to host the next edition of the Asia Cup next year, as per the Asian Cricket Council's executive board's decision. Incidentally, Shah is the president of the Asian Cricket Council.

After the BCCI AGM in Mumbai on Tuesday, Shah in an informal gathering of reporters stated that "India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue."

Sources close to PCB chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that one of the options that they are mulling after Shah's statement is to pull out of the 50-over ICC World Cup in India.

"The PCB is now prepared to take hard decisions and play hardball because it is also aware that the ICC and ACC events will have to face commercial liabilities and losses if Pakistan does not play India in these multi-team events," a senior PCB source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

India does play Pakistan at global or continental events but hasn't travelled to the neighbouring country since the 2008 Asia Cup. Pakistan last came to India for a short six-match white ball bilateral series in 2012.

The PCB when contacted declined to give an official reaction to Shah's statement.

"We have nothing to say at the moment but yes, we will look at things and take up this matter at appropriate forums like the ICC board meeting in Melbourne next month," a spokesperson said.

However, it has been learnt that PCB Chairman Raja and other senior officials were upset with the announcement by Jay Shah that India would not travel to Pakistan next year and had decided to take some hard decisions now.

"The PCB officials are surprised at the timing of Jay Shah's statement because there is nearly a year to go before the Asia Cup is held in Pakistan in September 2023," one insider said.

He said the PCB had been aware that the issue of India travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup was on the BCCI AGM but didn't expect any announcement or statements on this issue, at this time.

"The PCB is wondering, in what capacity has Jay Shah given the statement that the ACC will look to relocate the Asia Cup to the UAE instead of Pakistan because the hosting rights were awarded by the executive board of the ACC, not the President," the PCB source said.

The PCB sources said that Raja would be sending a strong letter to the ACC on the matter and would be demanding an emergency meeting of the ACC board to be convened in Melbourne next month to discuss Shah's statement.

The insider also disclosed that the PCB had decided to look at several options and would not accept any disruption of its hosting rights.

"One option under consideration will be to pull out of the ACC as the PCB believes the ACC was formed to promote and develop cricket in the region and forge unity among the member nations. But, if the President of the ACC is going to give statements like these, there is no use for Pakistan to remain in the body," he added.