Pakistan and Indian cricket boards have been at loggerheads ever since Pakistan was awarded the hosting rights of the 2023 Asia Cup. India, on numerous occasions, has expressed intentions not to tour Pakistan for the mega-event, which has irked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Initially, the controversy erupted during Ramiz Raja’s tenure as the chairman of the PCB, as the former Pakistan captain warned India that their decision could have serious consequences as Pakistan also has the right to not participate in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
Just as it seemed like the tensions between the two boards are on the brink of boiling over, PCB witnessed a regime change and Najam Sethi took over the reins from Ramiz.
Sethi continued PCB’s strong stance against India and stated that there is no chance of the Asia Cup being held outside Pakistan at a neutral venue. Sethi had expressed his desire to meet the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) secretary, Jay Shah, and discuss the details of the tournament but the meeting never took place.
Now, Sethi has revealed that detailed meetings are set to take place during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Bahrain on 4 February.
But strangely, Sethi’s demeanor regarding PCB’s stance has taken a turn. Sethi, in a press conference in Lahore, stated that he will assess the situation in the meeting before presenting PCB’s stance on the matter.
“Finally, we have a date now to meet ACC officials. I will attend ACC’s meeting on February 4 in Bahrain. I am not sure about our stance for now, I will decide it in the meeting keeping an eye on the situation,” Sethi stated.
Pakistan is set to host the Asia Cup for the first time in 14 years. The tournament will be played in an ODI format and is scheduled to be held in September, prior to the start of the ODI World Cup in India in October.
