PCB reaffirms stance on shifting forthcoming Asia Cup to a neutral venue

Under the leadership of their new chief Najam Sethi, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has refused to change its stance on shifting the upcoming Asia Cup to a neutral venue. The board is said to be ready to engage in a discussion with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) about the same but there’s no official confirmation yet whether any such meeting is scheduled to take place or not.

As per reports, PCB chief Najam Sethi is keen to meet ACC President Jay Shah and was also present during the opening ceremony of ILT20, but the BCCI secretary however didn’t turn up for the same. Thus, the meeting regarding the future of the Asia Cup couldn’t take place that day.

It is rumoured that the event might be shifted to the UAE, but the Pakistan Cricket Board is against the decision. After successfully hosting teams like Sri Lanka, Australia, England and New Zealand, they are now eager to host the Asia Cup as it can give them much-needed exposure and clarity pertaining to whether they are infrastructure-ready or not, in terms of hosting the next edition of the ICC Champions Trophy.

Meanwhile, the BCCI has denied travelling to Pakistan for the 16th edition of the tournament. They are planning to boycott the event if it is hosted by Pakistan in Pakistan. The former PCB chief Ramiz Raja had countered Jay Shah’s comments previously, and also said that the Men in Green will not play in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India if India decide not to show up for the event being organised in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Najam Sethi recently met with ACC's Tosith Perera to discuss the issue and demanded an early meeting with the board. Sethi recently appeared in an interview on Sports Tak and said that he is keen on meeting Jay Shah and get the issue resolved.

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