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Cricket Players‘…If we leave the country’: BCCI president Roger Binny addresses India’s stance over travelling to Pakistan for Asia Cup
Newly-appointed BCCI President Roger Binny spoke about India's stance on travelling to Pakistan for the men's Asia Cup, scheduled to take place next year.
The BCCI and PCB are seemingly at loggerheads after the former's secretary Jay Shah – who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council – said that India won't travel to Pakistan for the men's Asia Cup next year. Shah also added that the tournament will instead be taking place at a neutral venue. On Wednesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board issued a rather strongly-worded statement on the issue, hinting at a withdrawal from the 2023 ODI World Cup – scheduled to take place in India.
Shah had said that the government decides on whether to provide permission of touring a country – in this case, Pakistan – and that India will not travel there.
"Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan," Jay Shah had said. "It's the govt 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 that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue."
The newly-appointed BCCI President Roger Binny has now reiterated the comments made by Shah, as he stated that the board cannot take the decision to travel to Pakistan on its own.
“That isn't our call. We can't say where our team has to go. We need to take clearance from Government if we leave the country, or other countries come here. We can't take that decision on our own, we have to rely on government,” Binny said, as quoted by news agency ANI.
The last bilateral series between both sides was played in 2012/13, when Pakistan had toured India for three ODIs and two T20Is. India, meanwhile, last toured Pakistan in 2006 when the two sides played in three Tests and five one-dayers.
The meeting between both sides are confined to continental (Asia Cup) and global (ICC) tournaments, owing to political tensions. The two teams met last in the Asia Cup Super 4 encounter, and India and Pakistan will lock horns again on Sunday this week in the Group 2 match of the T20 World Cup in Melbourne.
