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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi is set to raise the issue of India's reluctance to come to Pakistan for Asia Cup in the upcoming Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has made it clear that India will not go to Pakistan for Asia Cup and are open to playing on a neutral venue. Sethi thinks it is now time to "take a clear position".
"We have complex issues on hand but for me when I go to the ACC and ICC meetings I have kept all options open for us and we have to take a clear position now," he said at the press conference in Lahore on March 13.
Sethi said that PCB will not give in as other teams have toured Pakistan in the recent past and have had no issues with security.
“I have kept my options open because when all teams are coming to Pakistan and have no issues with security. Then why is India worried about the security. In the same way we can also have security concerns over sending our team to India for the World Cup and I will be bringing this to the table at the coming meetings," he said.
"Obviously we don't support this stance (by India) because we want to hold the Asia Cup and remember it is not just about the Asia Cup and World Cup it is also about the Champions Trophy in 2025 in Pakistan."
Sethi will represent PCB at ICC CEO and Executive Board meetings this month. He also talked about the Champions Trophy which will be held in 2025 in Pakistan.
"I had sought advice from the government and the situation is that we have to go by what our patron in chief tells us to do. If he says go and play in World Cup even if India doesn't come for Asia Cup, what can we do? If he says don't go it is a similar situation for us," the 74-year-old said.
Sethi also revealed that he has been reading in the media that Pakistan are unlikely to go to India for World Cup later this year if they don't come for Asia Cup.
"We will take all these things into consideration at the coming meetings,” he clarified.
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