According to the latest reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will not change their stance on Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup, with the rights set to be stripped from the economically hit Pakistan. In case Pakistan does retain the hosting rights then the BCCI have declared that they will not travel to their neighbouring country citing the security tensions between the two countries. And one former player who is not happy with this decision is Javed Miandad.
Miandad shared his fury with reporters in Pakistan, saying that India does not run cricket. "Maine toh pehle bhi kaha tha agar nahi aana to bhaad mein jaaye. Humein koi farak nahi padta. Yeh ICC ka kaam hai. Agar yeh cheez ICC control nahi kar sakti toh phir governing body ka, ICC ka koi kaam nahi hai. Saari country ke liye rule ek hona chahiye. Agar aisi teamein nahi aati, chahe jitni bhi strong ho. Koi theka nahi liya hua. India hoga, apne liye hoga, humare liye ya duniya ke liye nahi hai, Pakistan ke liye nahi hai. Aao khelo, khelte kyun nahi? Bhaagte hain."
(I have said this before as well, India can go to hell if they don't want to come to Pakistan. It doesn't bother us. It is ICC's job to ensure that India come. If ICC can't control it then what's the use of being a governing body. It should have the same rules for every team, if they don't fulfill commitments, however, strong they may be. India doesn't run cricket. It may be a powerhouse but in its home, not for us, and not for the world. Come play in Pakistan, why don't you play?)," said Miandad.
When the venue for the 2023 edition of the tournament was announced in 2023, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president, announced that India won't travel to Pakistan as the government and political relations are also taken into account.
Shah and the board did not waver during a recently-held ACC meeting in Bahrain and the tournament is set to be moved out of Pakistan, with a new venue to be announced in the coming months.
The results of the meeting infuriated new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi, with a well-informed source telling Sports Tak, "Sethi has made his stance very clear (to Shah) and he went to Bahrain after meeting Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif last Tuesday. Apparently, he has discussed the matter with the PM before going to Bahrain.
"Sethi was clear that the Asia Cup is a multi-team event and the Pakistan government is willing to give security assurances to the Indian team. So, there is no reason for the BCCI to not send its team to Pakistan in September this year.
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