Pakistan will not play Asia Cup 2023 if the venue is shifted

Pakistan will not play Asia Cup 2023 if the venue is shifted: PCB Chief said – Even if India does not come, the location should not be changed

Dec 3, 2022 - 14:09
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Pakistan will not play Asia Cup 2023 if the venue is shifted

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Rameez Raja said – If the 2023 Asia Cup is not held in Pakistan, then his team will not play in the tournament. The location of the tournament should not be shifted just because Team India cannot come to Pakistan. If India does not come, it is not right, but if the venue is changed, first of all, the Pakistan team will withdraw its name from the tournament.
During the England-Pakistan Test match in Rawalpindi, PCB Chief said – We are not dying to host the tournament. We did not get hosting rights by begging. Through the fair process of ICC, we have got the responsibility of hosting the Asia Cup.
The 2023 Asia Cup is to be held in Pakistan in September. After this, there will be ODI World Cup in India in October. Due to the ODI World Cup, this time the Asia Cup will be 50 overs instead of 20. The last Asia Cup was to be held in the UAE in August 2022, but the hosting rights were with Sri Lanka. Actually, due to political chaos in his country, the venue had to be changed.
Asia Cricket Board (ACB) President Jay Shah had said that Team India cannot go to Pakistan due to political reasons. The hosting rights of the Asia Cup are with Pakistan, but matches can also be held at neutral venues by shifting the location of the tournament. Shah is also the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
After Shah's statement, India's Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said – a decision will be taken on sending any player of Team India to Pakistan only after permission from the Home Ministry. After this PCB Chief said, if Team India will not play Asia Cup in Pakistan then Pakistan will also not play in ODI World Cup to be held in India.
Team India went to Pakistan for the last time in 2008 to play in the Asia Cup. At the same time, Pakistan's team came to India for the last time in 2016 to play T20 World Cup. In 2022, both teams met 3 times. Cricket matches between the two countries were held twice in Dubai during the Asia Cup and once in Melbourne during the T20 World Cup.
There has not been a bilateral series in cricket between India and Pakistan since 2012. Then Pakistan came to India to play 3 ODIs and 2 T20s. At the same time, Team India last went to Pakistan in 2007 to play the Test series. After 2012, both teams played face-to-face only in the ICC Multi-Nation Tournament and Asia Cup.

Muskan Kumawat Journalist & Writer