New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry will decide if the Indian cricket team will travel to Pakistan next year to play the Asia Cup, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said Thursday, responding to the Pakistan Cricket Board’s threat that it won’t play any ICC events in India either.
Thakur said “chances aren’t much” for the team playing in Pakistan, which is hosting the 2023 Asia Cup.
The Union minister also said the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India would look into the PCB’s statement Wednesday that they would hold back in participating in the One Day International World Cup in India in 2023.
“India is a land of sports, where not only one but many World Cups have been hosted and the next World Cup too will be hosted in India with teams from around the world participating in it.
“India cannot be ignored in any sector. It has contributed a lot to the world of cricket and the World Cup will be grand, historic and successful,” Thakur said at the announcement of the upcoming Khelo India Youth Congress.
After the annual general meeting of the BCCI in Mumbai Tuesday, Secretary Jay Shah had said: “We will have the Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue. It is the government which decides over the permission of our team visiting Pakistan… so we won’t comment on that… but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided the tournament will be held at a neutral venue.”
Shah added: “I am saying this as ACC President. We (India) can’t go there (to Pakistan), they can’t come here. In the past also, the Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue.”
The PCB said the next day Shah’s comments were made “without any discussion or consultation” with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the PCB, which is the 2023 event’s host. It said the comments were made without “any thoughts towards long-term consequences and implications”.
The PCB also said such a unilateral decision could impact Pakistan’s visit to India for the ICC one-day international World Cup in 2023 and for all ICC events held in India between 2024 and 2031.
The PCB wrote to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Wednesday, asking it to convene an emergency meeting as soon as possible in this “important and sensitive manner”.
Also read: Team India won’t go to Pakistan to play Asia Cup 2023, says Jay Shah; neutral venue likely