India will not travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023: Jay Shah

Team India will not travel to the Asia Cup that is scheduled to be held in Pakistan in 2023, as confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah.

Earlier, it was reported that the board pondered about sending the national team for the Asian tournament in the neighbouring nation, however, Shah has confirmed that India will not travel to Pakistan. Notably, India last toured Pakistan back in 2008 for the Asia Cup and the wait continues as talks of a ‘neutral venue’ appear to be on the cards.

India to play in neutral venue

India were set to travel to their neighbourhood after Pakistan were given the hosting rights of two major tournaments – the 2023 Asia Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. It is worth noting that bilateral matches between the two countries have not taken place for nearly a decade as they only meet in ICC or ACC multi-team events.

BCCI has not agreed to the terms and will not travel to Pakistan considering the political tensions between the two nations. “Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan,” Shah said.

Given that Jay Shah is the ACC president, the organizing body of the Asia Cup, the possibility of the venue shifting out of Pakistan remains quite likely. Interestingly, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja had stated last year that BCCI runs the entire ICC and indirectly the PCB as well. PCB’s 50 percent revenue share comes from the apex board, the ICC and almost 90 percent of ICC’s revenue comes from the Indian market and BCCI.

“90 per cent of the ICC funding is generated from the Indian market. In other words, Indian business houses are running Pakistan cricket. If tomorrow, the Indian Prime Minister decides that they will not fund Pakistan cricket, there’s a possibility that the PCB can collapse,” Ramiz Raja had said.