The Indian squad won’t be going to Pakistan for the 2019 Asia Cup, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who have reiterated their position on the matter. India’s unwillingness to visit Pakistan was reiterated during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) executive board meeting on Saturday in Bahrain.
Reason: According to BCCI, playing cricket in Pakistan will not be possible without “permission from the Indian government.”
The Asia Cup is planned to be hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), but the ACC executive board declined to make a decision regarding the hosts. When the group reconvenes in March of next year, ACC will talk about the hosts and the location.
The BCCI won’t be sending a team to Pakistan, according to Jay Shah, the organization’s secretary and the chairman of the ACC. Where PCB may be the host nation, the BCCI has no issue competing there. If PCB agrees to host the competition, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah are being considered as potential locations for the Asia Cup.
As far as is known, BCCI secretary Shah also spoke with Najam Sethi, the new head of the PCB.
The PCB was eager to host the Asia Cup and cited foreign teams visiting the nation to ensure the safety of the players. Test cricket has been played in Pakistan by teams including England, New Zealand, and Australia. The BCCI is hesitant to visit Pakistan, despite the PCB’s desire for cricketing relations with the Indian squad to restart as they once did.
For the Indian team to visit Pakistan, the Indian government will not grant permission. The BCCI has made an effort to explain the issue to other bodies. So, everyone decided to hold off for another month, according to a BCCI source.
Last year, Sri Lanka, which was going through a economic crises hosted Asia Cup in UAE. On Sunday, an ACC release stated: “The ACC had a constructive dialogue on the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The Board agreed to continue discussions on operations, timelines and any other specifics with a view to ensure the success of the tournament. An update on the matter would be taken on the next ACC Executive Board Meeting to be held in March 2023.”
The statement said, “In another development, the executive board approved the invitation of teams from Indonesia (PERSUTAN CRICKET INDONESIA) and Japan (JAPAN CRICKET ASSOCIATION) to play in the ACC pathway competitions. The ACC will also investigate ways to get Afghan women back into the game because they stopped playing after the Taliban took over.
