Contrary to the false reports appearing in the Pakistan media, BCCI secretary Jay Shah will not be making any visit to the neighbouring country during the Asia Cup 2023, before or after.
“I have not agreed to anything. This is just plain miscommunication. Probably done deliberately or mischievously. I’ll not be making any visit,” Jay Shah told News18 CricketNext on Wednesday morning.
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BCCI secretary Shah and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf met on the sidelines of the ongoing ICC meet in Durban where the two discussed the Asia Cup and 50-over World Cup.
It’s being widely reported in the Pakistani media that Shah accepted Ashraf’s invite to visit Pakistan for Asia Cup fixtures, which is completely false.
Arun Dhumal, CEC representative of BCCI at ICC, has also denied that Shah or anyone from the BCCI will be travelling to Pakistan at all.
“Whatever the reports, they’re completely false,” Dhumal told News18 CricketNext.
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While Shah has strongly refuted the reports of his visit, the ‘hybrid arrangement’ of the Asia Cup tournament will stay, where Pakistan will host four games while Sri Lanka will host nine games including all knockouts and the final. There is no change to this arrangement either, which was initially agreed upon by all parties, including the PCB.
A well-placed source questioned the reports and asked why any Indian official would visit Pakistan when India are playing all their games, including the knockouts (should they make it) in Sri Lanka?
“Unless this is for mischievous reasons. The two met and discussed the Asia Cup and World Cup in India later this year but that was it. Asia Cup hybrid arrangement remains in place where Pakistan will host some games and Sri Lanka hosts majority of the tournament because Pakistan kept insisting on it,” said the source.
In addition to the Asia Cup, the two spoke about the World Cup in India too and Pakistan will travel for the 50-over marquee event later this year as planned.
Pakistan will play their matches in Ahmedabad as the World Cup schedule suggests and there will be no change in that itinerary.
PCB has given a go-ahead to the ICC on the 50-over World Cup and, as BCCI officials put it, “there’s nothing to add to it”.
