India won’t play Asia Cup in Pakistan: BCCI

Published January 29, 2020
Speaking to IANS news agency, a BCCI official said that the hosting rights is not an issue and it is just a case of picking a neutral venue as the Indian team wouldn’t be travelling to Pakistan for the T20 tournament that will see the top Asian teams in action. — AFP/File
Speaking to IANS news agency, a BCCI official said that the hosting rights is not an issue and it is just a case of picking a neutral venue as the Indian team wouldn’t be travelling to Pakistan for the T20 tournament that will see the top Asian teams in action. — AFP/File

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is clear that while it has no problem with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hosting the 2020 edition of the Asia Cup — set to be a preparatory ground for the World T20 in Australia — the venue needs to be a neutral one as travelling to the neighbouring country isn’t an option at present.

Speaking to IANS news agency, a BCCI official said that the hosting rights is not an issue and it is just a case of picking a neutral venue as the Indian team wouldn’t be travelling to Pakistan for the T20 tournament that will see the top Asian teams in action.

“The question isn’t about the PCB hosting the tournament. It is about the venue and as things stand now, it is quite clear that we would need a neutral venue. There is no way that an Indian team can visit Pakistan to even participate in a multi-nation event like the Asia Cup. If the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is ok with an Asia Cup minus India then it is a different ball game. But if India is to participate in the Asia Cup, then the venue cannot be Pakistan,” the BCCI official remarked.

In fact, issues in obtaining visa for Pakistan players to come and play the 2018 edition of the Asia Cup in India was one of the major reasons why the tournament was shifted out of the country with the BCCI hosting the event in the UAE.

The official further said the PCB can do just the same and host the event at a neutral venue. “A neutral venue is always an option. The BCCI did it in 2018,” the official underlined.

Cricket returned to Pakistan after a decade when Sri Lanka toured the nation in 2019. While Sri Lanka was the first nation to play a full series in the country, Bangladesh is currently undertaking a tour to the country in three phases. They just finished playing three T20 Internationals, all in Lahore. Bangladesh now play a Test from Feb 7 to 11 in Rawalpindi and then feature in a one-off ODI before playing the second Test from April 5 to 9, both in Karachi.

Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

Anything goes
Updated 13 Jan, 2025

Anything goes

With social media companies abandoning moderation efforts, dark days of freewheeling internet have seemingly returned.
Odious trade
13 Jan, 2025

Odious trade

WHEN home feels like a sinking ship, people are forced to make ill-fated journeys for a better life. Last month,...
Treasure of the Indus
13 Jan, 2025

Treasure of the Indus

THE Indus dolphin, or bulhan as it is known locally, is a remarkable species found only in the Indus River. Unlike...
Increased inflows
Updated 12 Jan, 2025

Increased inflows

Govt must devise a strategy to increase industrial and agricultural productivity to boost exports and reduce reliance on uncertain remittances.
Gwadar’s potential
12 Jan, 2025

Gwadar’s potential

THE Gwadar deep-sea port, completed in 2007, was supposed to be a shining success for the other newly built ports in...
Broken metropolis
12 Jan, 2025

Broken metropolis

KARACHI, Pakistan’s economic juggernaut, is the largest contributor to the nation’s tax revenue. The Federal...