PCB invites Jay Shah to attend 2023 Asia Cup opener

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended an invitation to Jay Shah, the Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), to attend the opening clash of the Asia Cup. The event, scheduled to start from August 30, will witness Pakistan and Nepal locking horns in the opener in Multan.

The PCB's generous invitation has not only been extended to Shah but also to the heads of other cricket boards part of the Asian Cricket Council. This move showcases the PCB's intent to promote unity and cooperation among cricket-playing nations in the region.

A reliable source within the PCB revealed that the invitation sent to Shah was more a demonstration of goodwill than an earnest anticipation of his attendance. The source explained that the groundwork for the invitation had been laid during an informal conversation between PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and Shah in Durban during an ICC meeting.

It is worth noting that earlier media reports from Pakistan had claimed that Shah had accepted the PCB invite, he refuted the claim later. This discrepancy had apparently caused some discomfiture within the PCB. The source attributed this confusion to the evident miscommunication between the two boards.

"The PCB has basically followed up on the invitation which was extended verbally by Chairman Zaka Ashraf to Jay Shah when they both met in Durban for the ICC meeting," the source was quoted by India Today. "The PCB was obviously embarrassed after the Pakistani media reported that Jay Shah had accepted Zaka Ashraf's invitation and the Indian board official later flatly denied this.

Recognizing the complex and often sensitive relations between India and Pakistan, the PCB's intention behind inviting Jay Shah seems to be to underscore its commitment to maintaining sports as a realm unblemished by political conflict. 

PCB's invitation to Jay Shah stands as a symbolic gesture, emphasizing the sport's capacity to transcend geopolitical differences and unite nations on the field.