Karachi : The dispute over the hosting rights of the Asia Cup 2023 continues, with no agreement still on where the continental tournament will take place. Although Pakistan has the right to host the tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not ready to send its team there.
As talks continue, the decision has reportedly been postponed until March. However, as per a report, all the participating countries (in the Asia Cup) have been asked to seek government clearance to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. However, PCB has rubbished such reports saying that no such thing happened during the meeting.
Issuing a strong statement on the ‘report’, the PCB said that none of its members has shown any intention to seek government clearance to participate in the Asia Cup in Pakistan.
In its statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board said, The decision on the Asia Cup venue has been deferred till March 2023,’ in addition, all members of the ACC are believed to have been told to inform their government and take opinions from whether their teams can go to Pakistan.
The PCB would like to clarify that no such matter was raised in the meeting nor did any member express any intention to seek government approval to play in Pakistan. Sri Lanka has recently toured Pakistan in 2017 and 2019, while Bangladesh toured Pakistan in 2020.
In the 2023–2027 Future Tours Program (FTP), which has been agreed upon and announced by all ICC members, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have confirmed their tours to Pakistan.
The ICC is expected to decide on shifting the Asia Cup out of Pakistan and an alternate venue in March. However, on this suggestion, PCB chief Najam Sethi has reportedly told ACC president Jay Shah that his country will not give up the right to host the Asia Cup or the Champions Trophy in 2025.
He also said, If the BCCI cannot get the nod from its government for the Asia Cup, then Pakistan will also not travel to India for the ODI World Cup.
