On Monday, Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi, held a press conference to announce the squad for the upcoming T20 series against Afghanistan in Sharjah. During the press conference, he was asked about the status of the India and Asia Cup fiasco and if there has been any progress made on the matter.
Sethi responded by saying that this was a difficult question and that there was no easy answer. He acknowledged that India had significant influence in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), and that the situation was similar to what it was before. India was still adamant that they would not play in Pakistan and that the Asia Cup should be moved to another location.
He stated that there were two separate matters at hand, one belonging to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the other to the ACC. He emphasized that the Champions Trophy was exclusively an ICC matter and that hosting rights for the event belonged to Pakistan. He plans to take a position on this matter in front of the ICC and ACC whenever talks over the issue take place.
Sethi consulted with the government about the issue, and he stated that if the government asked Pakistan to play in the World Cup in India, then they would prioritize the government’s decision. However, if the government did not allow them to go to India, then he would have to see what the government wants him to do.
He explained that he was hesitant to send the national team to India due to the recent surge of communal violence in the country. He stated that the world acknowledges that Pakistan does not have any security issues, but India thinks otherwise. He added that Pakistan’s team also had grave security concerns in India due to the current communal situation. He emphasized that they would prioritize national interest and keep the government and security agencies in the loop before making any final decision.
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