‘Who are you not to go and play Asia Cup in Pakistan?’: Ex-PCB chief’s scathing attack, accuses BCCI of influencing ICC
A former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief has launched a scathing attack at the BCCI, accusing them of influencing ICC as well.
Pakistan is unlikely to host 2023 Asia Cup after BCCI remained firm on their stance, to not send the Indian team to Pakistan for the tournament, during the recent Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meet last week in Bahrain. Although the alternate venue is yet to be finalised, Pakistan has been left furious with the decision. And while they have threatened to withdraw from the ODI World Cup this year, slated to held in India. A former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief has launched a scathing attack at the BCCI, accusing them of influencing ICC as well.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the ACC chairman, had dropped a bombshell statement last October saying that Team India won't be travelling to Pakistan. PCB responded with a strongly-worded statement. The matter was however expected to be solved in the ACC meet on Saturday, but there has been no official announcement as of yet.
Reports have however claimed that while Pakistan will retain their hosting rights, the tournament won't be staged in the country. Furious at the call, former PCB chairman Khaled Mahmood, opined that in an ideal world ICC should have stepped in over the BCCI's stance, but accused the apex cricket body to be under the influence of the Indian cricket board.
“The world doesn’t run on ideology and principles; else ICC should show their power and tell India ‘who are you not to go and play Asia Cup in Pakistan?’ But India has great influence on ICC," he said.
Khaled however feels that it would be in Pakistan's best interest to accept the decision of an alternate venue as a tournament without India would mean a huge loss in revenue.
"If We host Asia Cup without India and without their players, corporate sponsorship will all stop. The big money will stop. And it won’t be a glamorous tournament without them. It would be a weak tournament. We will also lose money.”
