Pakistan Cricket Board proposes neutral venue for India’s matches in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023

At the Asia Cup, India might play their bitter enemies, Pakistan and other teams at a location outside of Pakistan. This follows a suggestion by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the competition’s hosts. PCB suggested the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting last week in Dubai.

At the meeting, India was represented by Arun Dhumal, the Indian T20 League chairman, and Jay Shah, the ACC president and Indian Cricket Board secretary. Nevertheless, no choice has yet been made about the locations of the India Games. At the AGM last year, the Indian Cricket Board said the Indian squad would not go to Pakistan for the Asia Cup since the central government would not grant permission.

India and Pakistan have been placed in same group at Asia Cup 2023

“The proposal to play India games at a neutral venue (outside Pakistan) has been proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board. They haven’t informed the Indian Cricket Board about which the neutral venue will be. The ACC hasn’t taken any decision on it. It will be discussed during the next meeting. There are logistics and financial implications too. At the same time, we don’t know whether the official broadcaster will agree to this move because they will need another crew in another country,” an official, who attended the meeting, said.

If team India reaches the final of the continental competition, the game will also have to be played outside of Pakistan. It’s also unknown whether the teams—aside from Pakistan—would agree to play India anywhere else. Ramiz Raja, the previous chairman of the PCB, predicted that Pakistan would not travel to India for the 50-over World Cup later this year when the Indian Cricket Board determined that the Indian team would not attend the Asia Cup there.

Current Chairman Najam Sethi seemed to strike a more amenable tone before departing for the ACC meeting. “It’s important to see how other members (of ACC) look at our stance on Asia Cup. What they think is important, but in the end, we must realise how much clout the Indian Cricket Board, with its financial power, carries in world cricket.”

The PCB’s proposal seeks a middle ground in which the matches excluding India will be held in Pakistan. India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group at the Asia Cup and may face one another up to three times.