Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan Cricket Board issues clarification on hosting rights controversy
Najam Sethi, Babar Azam (Image Credit: Twitter)
In the last few months, India and Pakistan Cricket Boards are having strong disagreements over the venue of the Asia Cup 2023. Pakistan is currently the host of the tournament. Meanwhile, the Indian Cricket Board secretary Jay Shah and the board have maintained that they might not get permission to travel to Pakistan. On the other hand, the PCB has been adamant to organize the tournament in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, on February 5, a leading media house reported that the decision on the venue of this year’s continental tournament is postponed for the next month. The report added that all “ACC members are believed to have been asked to seek their own government’s positions on whether their teams could travel to Pakistan. However, the PCB has issued a clarification statement on the matter
The ACC members weren’t asked to seek permission from their respective governments: PCB
In reply, the PCB issued a statement that started by saying none of the ACC members were asked to seek permission from their respective governments for traveling to Pakistan.
“The PCB wishes to clarify no such matters were raised in the meeting, nor did any member indicate any intention to seek government clearance for playing in Pakistan”.
The statement also mentioned that Sri Lanka visited Pakistan twice in the last six years. Also, teams such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will also visit Pakistan in the future.
“Sri Lanka has recently visited Pakistan in 2017 and 2019, while Bangladesh has toured Pakistan in 2020. In the 2023-2027 Future Tours Programme (FTP), which has been agreed and announced by all ICC Members, Afghanistan Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have confirmed their tours to Pakistan.”
“Whatever the stance is, it will be according to the interests of Pakistan,” said Najam Sethi, the PCB chairperson.
PCB statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5BLTCB21uP
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 5, 2023
Meanwhile, the Asian country got the hosting rights of the tournament for the first time since 2008. Since then, Pakistan missed out on a lot of cricket at home due to a terrorist attack on the Lankan Lions in March 2009. However, since 2019, the country has witnessed home seasons.
