The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) executive board had decided to give the 2023 Asia Cup hosting rights to Pakistan. But in a recent statement, BCCI secretary and ACC prez Jay Shah had overrode that decision.
Shah had made it clear that India was not going to tour Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. Speaking at AMC, the BCCI secretary talked about the tournament being held at a venue that is neutral (UAE).
He had announced, “We have decided to play (Asia Cup) at a neutral venue”. The controversial statement generated a lot of heat, especially from Pakistan.
BCCI Twitter handle likes PAK journalist’s Tweet labelling Jay Shah a COWARD
In a recent affair, reputed Pakistan journalist Syed Sammer Abbas hit out at Shah for not touring the Pakistani subcontinent: “Cowards (like Shah), don’t run away. Keep sports away from politics”.
Thank you @BCCI for exposing India by endorsing my Tweet. 😜 pic.twitter.com/pCtte5JvDn
— Syed Sammer Abbas (سید ثمر عباس) (@SammerAbbas) October 19, 2022
The tweet, interestingly, was liked by the official BCCI (whose Shah is secretary) Twitter account. It isn’t clear if it was a mistake or a sarcastic activity from BCCI Twitter.
Notably, the cricketing relations between the arch-rival nations have suffered ever since Jay Shah has been recently re-elected as the secretary of the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI).
PAK journalist Sammer had also accused BCCI of being a ‘political tool’ of the ruling government. If you aren’t aware, Jay is the son of prominent BJP leader Amit Shah.
#BCCI has become a tool of extremist RSS.
— Syed Sammer Abbas (سید ثمر عباس) (@SammerAbbas) October 18, 2022
Meanwhile, several former Pakistan cricketers like Shahid Afridi, Saeed Anwar, and Javed Miandad have hit out at BCCI for its unwillingness to let Pakistan host the 2023 Asia Cup.
In the wake of the bold statement from the BCCI secretary Jay Shah, PCB has threatened to boycott the 2023 ODI WC that India is set to host. Moreover, they’ve also signalled at forfeiture of their ACC (Asian Cricket Council) membership if things don’t change soon.
