The Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in India, Anurag Singh Thakur, has made a U-turn on his statement regarding the Asia Cup 2023, scheduled to take place in Pakistan.
Anurag Singh Thakur stated that the responsibility of deciding whether India will participate in the Asia Cup has been shifted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Sports Minister clarified that the cricket authority would decide whether to send its team to Pakistan, following which the Ministry of Home Affairs would make a final decision.
Last December, Anurag Thakur had stated that the Indian Home Ministry would make the decision to send the Men in Blue to Pakistan due to security concerns in the country.
“It is not just a game of cricket. Other teams like England, Australia, and South Africa have traveled to Pakistan, but can they be compared to India?” said Thakur at that time.
The statement came at a time when tensions between the two countries were running high, with India refusing to send its team for the event due to security reasons.
Earlier this year, it was reported that India has expressed interest in shifting the Asia Cup to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) or only shifting Indian matches to neutral venues.
It is worth mentioning that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also threatened to withdraw from the ODI World Cup 2023, which is scheduled to be held in India later this year.
