Ashwin takes a dig at Pakistan over Asia Cup fiasco
An emergency meeting was held in Bahrain on Saturday at request of PCB management committee chairman Sethi
Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a dig at Pakistan amid the uncertainty that looms over the fate of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hosting the upcoming Asia Cup 2023.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has repeatedly said that India will not tour Pakistan, there is no official word from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on moving the tournament out from Pakistan.
An emergency meeting was held in Bahrain on Saturday, and it decided that the decision on the venue of the Asia Cup would be made in March.
The meeting was called at the request of the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi.
Meanwhile, the off-spinner doesn't think it would be possible for Pakistan to not travel to India for the 50-over World Cup 2023.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: "Asia Cup was supposed to take place in Pakistan. But India has announced that if it takes place in Pakistan, then we won’t be participating. If you want us to participate, do change the venue."
"But we have seen this happen many times. When we say that we won’t go to their place, they will say that they will also not come to our place. Similarly, Pakistan has said that they will also not come to the World Cup. However, I think it is not possible," he added.
The ODI Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in September ahead of the ODI World Cup in India.
The location of the Asia Cup was not included in the ACC chairman Shah's announcement of the continental body's schedule in December of last year.
As a result, Sethi accused ACC president Jay Shah of making a "unilateral decision," without involving other boards.
It should be mentioned here that Shah had told the media in October of last year that India will not visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup and said that the event would be shifted to a neutral venue.
In response, Ramiz Raja, the former head of the PCB, had vowed that Pakistan would not travel to India for the 50-over World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in India in October-November later this year.
Last year, the T20 Asia Cup 2022 was hosted in the UAE by Sri Lanka Cricket after political turmoil in the country. It could again host the event if the tournament is moved out of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Qatar has also shown interest in hosting the tournament as a neutral venue.
