Pakistan is ready to have India in the Asia Cup: PCB CEO Wasim Khan

The bilateral relation between India and Pakistan is showing no signs of improvement at all. In fact, it is deteriorating with each passing day. With Pakistan and Indian government at loggerheads, the bilateral relationship is perhaps at an all-time low. And the political tension has taken a big toll on the cricketing ties too.

The bilateral relation between the two cricket giants is under suspension for nearly a decade now. The two teams last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 when Pakistan visited India for a short limited-overs tour. The last Test series between the two arch-rivals was played way back in 2007. Since then both the teams have only locked horns in ICC tournaments or Asia Cup.

And the poor bilateral relation is looking set to disrupt Pakistan’s Asia Cup plans. They have secured the hosting rights of the tournament’s next edition. However, the chances of India visiting Pakistan are very bleak and Pakistan are pretty much aware of that. Thus they have decided to wait till June next year before taking the call.

“We need to see if India agrees to come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. There is still some time till next year’s September but by June, we have to know where we are going with this and if it can’t be hosted here because of a lack of involvement of India,” PCB CEO Wasim Khan said as quoted by India Today.

Possibility of shifting the venue

Wasim Khan said that Pakistan are ready to host India for the tournament in next September. He further said that if India decided against travelling to Pakistan, the decision on whether to shift the venue or not will rest on the Asian Cricket Council as well as the International Cricket Council (ICC). Incidentally, India had last visited Pakistan in 2008 for the same tournament.

“But that is a decision for the Asian Cricket Council and ICC to make. We are ready to have India in the Asia Cup,” Khan said.

“Board to board level, we share a good relation with India but they have a lot of government interference and we can’t keep on running after them to play a bilateral series. If they want to play they will have to tell us and give us a firm commitment. We have no issues playing at a neutral venue,” Khan said while speaking on the relation between the two boards.