Reports: PCB unhappy with ACC President Jay Shah for revealing Asia Cup schedule before official ceremony

The secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Jay Shah, recently, revealed the Asia Cup 2023 schedule through a social media post. Shortly after, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) conducted an official ceremony in Lahore, to announce the Asia Cup fixtures and unveil the trophy for the coveted event.

Consequently, PCB was miffed with Shah’s actions; as they believe that the hosting of the ceremony got spoiled as it lost its significance. It is also reported that PCB had an agreement with ACC to release the schedule only after the ceremony gets underway. Furthermore, it is learned that PCB expressed their concern to ACC after the incident. However, the council conveyed that it happened due to a misunderstanding.

"The PCB had a clear understanding with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) (that) it would release the schedule of the Asia Cup, five minutes after the ceremony started in Lahore. But unfortunately, half-an-hour before the ceremony started around 7.15 P.M, Jay Shah had announced it on social media," a PCB source was quoted as saying as per several reports.

Interestingly, another source said that Jay Shah had settled the score with PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf. After the ICC meeting in Durban, when Ashraf and Shah met, it was circulated that the BCCI secretary would visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023. Shah had to later clarify that no BCCI official would be visiting Pakistan to watch the Asia Cup matches. So now It is highlighted that BCCI has settled the score with PCB after revealing the schedule before them.

It appears as if Jay Shah settled scores after the confusion and questions he had to face over, whether he had accepted an invitation from Zaka to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup matches which was widely circulated by Mazari and the PCB in the media,” the source concluded. 

Hosts Pakistan will play Nepal in Asia Cup 2023 opener

Despite all the drama, the Asia Cup 2023 is set to begin on August 30 in Multan, and the host nation, Pakistan, will face Nepal in the opening fixture. Whereas India and Pakistan will clash on September 2, at Kandy, in Sri Lanka. Besides, as the event will be played under a hybrid model which was proposed by the PCB, Pakistan will host four out of 14 matches in their backyard while the rest of the schedule will be played in Sri Lanka.