Pakistan likely to pull out of ODI World Cup if India not travel for Asia Cup | Cricket News

KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday threatened to pull out of next year’s World Cup in India, reacting strongly to BCCI secretary Jay Shah‘s statement that they prefer to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the next edition of Asia Cup next year as per Asian Cricket Councilexecutive board’s decision. Incidentally Shah is the president of Asian Cricket Council.
After the BCCI AGM in Mumbai on Tuesday, Shah declared in an informal gathering of reporters that “India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.”

Sources close to pcb Chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that one of the options they are considering after Shah’s statement is to withdraw from the ICC 50-over World Cup in India.
“The PCB is now prepared to take tough decisions and play hard ball as it is also aware that the ICC and ACC events will have to face commercial liabilities and losses if Pakistan does not play India in these multi-team events not,” a senior PCB source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
India do play Pakistan at world or continental events but have not traveled to the neighboring country since the 2008 Asia Cup. Pakistan last came to India in 2012 for a short six-match white-ball bilateral series.
When contacted, the PCB declined to give an official response to Shah’s statement.
“We have nothing to say at the moment, but yes, we will look into things and take this matter up in appropriate forums such as the ICC Council meeting in Melbourne next month,” a spokesman said.
However, it was learned that PCB Chairman Raja and other senior officials were very upset with the announcement by Jay Shah that India would not travel to Pakistan next year and decided to take some tough decisions now.
“The PCB officials are surprised by the timing of Jay Shah’s statement as there is still almost a year to go before the Asia Cup is held in Pakistan in September 2023,” said one insider.
He said the PCB was aware that the issue of India traveling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup was on the BCCI AGM but did not expect any announcement or statements on this issue at this stage.
“The PCB wonders in what capacity Jay Shah has given the statement that the ACC will try to shift the Asia Cup to the UAE from Pakistan because the hosting rights have been awarded by the executive council of the ACC, not the president,” the PCB source said.
PCB can withdraw from ACC membership
The PCB sources said that Raja will send a strong letter to the ACC on the matter and demand that an emergency meeting of the ACC board be convened in Melbourne next month to discuss Shah’s statement.
The insider also revealed that the PCB has decided to look at various options and will not accept any disruption of its hosting rights.
“One option under consideration would be to withdraw from the ACC, as the PCB believes the ACC was established to promote and develop cricket in the region and bring unity among the member states. But the president of the ACC is going to make statements as this gives , there is no use for Pakistan to stay in the body,” he added.