Asia Cup 2023: 'Is India afraid of losing to Pakistan?', Najam Sethi cornered BCCI!

PC: Kheldhaba

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi is raising concerns over the staging of Asia Cup 2023 with incessant rains affecting the Sri Lankan leg of the tournament. The continental schedule is being played using a 'hybrid module' proposed by the PCB, with four of the thirteen games being played in Pakistan and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka. This method was adopted after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send Team India to Pakistan citing diplomatic reasons. As a result, India had to set up their base in Sri Lanka for the entire tournament.

However, this decision appears to compromise the true spirit of the continental championship, as the weather has become a deciding factor in every match. Several media reports have indicated that the Jay Shah-led Asia Cricket Council (ACC) is considering shifting the Super Four matches from Colombo to Hambantota to avoid any disruption caused by rain. Surprisingly, on Tuesday, the ACC informed all stakeholders that the tournament will go ahead as per the original plan, with all games to be held in Colombo.

PC: ABP News

Sethi was irritated by the sudden change in decision and expressed his disappointment with the Shah-led ACC. He asked whether India was afraid of defeat by Pakistan. Additionally, the former PCB chief pointed to contrasting weather forecasts between Colombo and Hambantota, highlighting the strong possibility of rain in the Sri Lankan capital in the coming week.

 Sethi wrote- “BCCI/ACC informed PCB today that they have decided to shift the next Indo-Pak match from Colombo to Hambantota due to forecast of rain. Within an hour they changed their mind and declared Colombo as the venue. What's going on? Is India afraid of playing and losing to Pakistan? 

PC: Crictoday No

Earlier on Tuesday, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Jay Shah issued a detailed statement regarding the selection of venues for the ongoing Asia Cup and explained why the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not considered an ideal option. Shah highlighted that none of the stakeholders expressed willingness to host the entire tournament in Pakistan due to concerns over the country's security and economic situation.

Shah said in a statement, “All Full Members, media rights holders, and in-stadia rights holders were initially hesitant to commit to hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan. “This reluctance stems from concerns regarding the prevailing security and economic situation in the country.”

As ACC President, I was committed to finding a viable and mutually agreeable solution. For this purpose, I accepted the hybrid model proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the ACC management.