India Travel to Pakistan for ASIA CUP 2023 – The future of the 2023 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Pakistan, remains uncertain as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) failed to reach a decision during its recent meeting in Bahrain.
The uncertainty began in October 2022 when ACC President and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced that the tournament would be held in a neutral venue because India could not travel to Pakistan.
This statement was met with disappointment from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who reportedly told Shah that if India did not play in Pakistan, Pakistan would not play in India for the 2023 World Cup.
This has led to a deadlock, which is expected to be revisited during the upcoming ICC and ACC meetings in March 2023.
The PCB has made it clear that the issues surrounding hosting rights for international cricket tournaments, including the 2023 Asia Cup, the 2023 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy, are the same.
India Travel to Pakistan for ASIA CUP 2023 – High Tension Between BCCI and PCB, Meetings Yield with No Result
Depending on the outcome of the March meetings, a decision may be left to the Pakistan government to make. The PCB has also stated that all ACC members have been asked to seek government clearance for playing in Pakistan, but that no such matters were raised during the recent meeting and no members indicated an intention to seek government clearance.
Despite a hiatus from international cricket after the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore, Pakistan has hosted full members for both red- and white-ball cricket in recent years.
However, the political relationship between Pakistan and India has become increasingly strained, leading to a lack of bilateral series between the two countries since 2012-13. The Indian men’s team has not played a match in Pakistan since 2008, but Pakistan has traveled to India for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
The PCB has been firm in its stance of hosting the 2023 Asia Cup, with Chief Najam Sethi saying that the board’s stance will be in the best interest of Pakistan. The ACC executive board has approved the inclusion of teams from Japan and Indonesia in ACC pathway tournaments and ratified the ACC calendar of activities for 2023 and 2024.
International cricket has made a slow but steady return to Pakistan over the past few years, with nearly all full members (excluding India) visiting the country. The PCB is eager to continue this trend by hosting the 2023 Asia Cup, but with the deadlock between the ACC and the PCB, the tournament’s future remains uncertain.
The outcome of the March meetings will be crucial in determining whether the tournament will take place in Pakistan, or if it will be held in a neutral venue as previously stated by Jay Shah.
India Travel to Pakistan for ASIA CUP 2023 – High Tension Between BCCI and PCB, Meetings Yield with No Result
History of India & Pakistan Tensions:
The relationship between India and Pakistan in cricket has been a complex and highly anticipated one for fans and players alike. The two nations have a rich history of facing each other on the cricket field, dating back to their first match in 1952.
The intense political rivalry between the two countries has often spilled over onto the cricket field, making matches between India and Pakistan highly charged affairs.
Over the years, India and Pakistan have faced each other in numerous international cricket tournaments, including the World Cup, Asia Cup, and the Champions Trophy.
Their matches have always been some of the most watched and highly anticipated events in international cricket, with fans from both countries eagerly anticipating the outcome.
India Travel to Pakistan for ASIA CUP 2023 – High Tension Between BCCI and PCB, Meetings Yield with No Result
However, the bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan have been impacted by political tensions, leading to a hiatus in regular cricketing encounters between the two nations. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for a limited-overs series.
Since then, their encounters have been limited to ICC and ACC events, with the Indian men’s team not playing any match in Pakistan since 2008, and Pakistan traveling to India for the 2016 T20 World Cup.
The uncertainty surrounding the 2023 Asia Cup is a reflection of the current state of affairs between India and Pakistan in cricket. The ACC’s decision to hold the tournament in a neutral venue, due to India’s inability to travel to Pakistan, has caused a deadlock between the ACC and the PCB.
The outcome of the upcoming ICC and ACC meetings in March 2023 will be crucial in determining whether the 2023 Asia Cup will take place in Pakistan, or if it will be held in a neutral venue.
