The simmering tension between the India and Pakistan cricket boards was evident following PCB chief Najam Sethi’s sarcastic jab at BCCI secretary Jay Shah for “unilaterally announcing” the Asian Cricket Council’s two-year calendar.
Thank you @JayShah for unilaterally presenting @ACCMedia1 structure & calendars 2023-24 especially relating to Asia Cup 2023 for which 🇵🇰 is the event host. While you are at it, you might as well present structure & calendar of our PSL 2023! A swift response will be appreciated. https://t.co/UdW2GekAfR
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) January 5, 2023
Incident?
In his capacity as ACC chairman, Shah announced the 2023 and 2024 schedules on his Twitter account on Thursday, with the prestigious Asia Cup scheduled for September of this year, though the specific schedule and host nation have not yet been revealed.
Despite being the original host of the Asia Cup this year, the BCCI does not want to play in Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries.
At the time, Ramiz Raja, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), disagreed with the BCCI’s position and threatened to boycott the 50-over World Cup in India.
Raja contended that Shah cannot decide whether to relocate the tournament because the ACC Board of Directors decided to award Pakistan hosting rights.
However, after Shah announced the calendar in the morning, Sethi, who was thought to be close to former Indian board members, reacted angrily.
Najam Sethi Tweet
Najam Tweeted:
“Thank you Jay Shah for unilaterally presenting ACC structure & calendars 2023-24 especially relating to Asia Cup 2023 for which Pakistan is the event host. While you are at it, you might as well present the structure & calendar of our PSL 2023! A swift response will be appreciated.”
The Asia Cup will be held in 2023 and will feature India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and a qualifier team.
Sri Lanka is the defending Asia Cup champion in the UAE, having defeated Pakistan in the final.
The competition was played in a T20 format due to the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
The Asia Cup will be played in a 50-over format this year because India will host the ODI World Cup later this year, and all participating teams will be focused on that.
Because of the complicated socio-political situation between cross-border nations, it is clear that India wants the tournament moved to the United Arab Emirates, but Pakistan has responded by asking why they would host an event in a neutral country when other countries such as Australia, England, and New Zealand can travel there and play without security concerns.
Presenting the @ACCMedia1 pathway structure & cricket calendars for 2023 & 2024! This signals our unparalleled efforts & passion to take this game to new heights. With cricketers across countries gearing up for spectacular performances, it promises to be a good time for cricket! pic.twitter.com/atzBO4XjIn
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) January 5, 2023
Pavan Manzoor is an experienced content writer , editor and social media handler along with a track record of youth-oriented activities in Pakistan and abroad. She was selected as a fully-funded delegate as a leadership fellow in Turkey. She also led a team of 5 volunteers at the week-long Young Professionals Fellowship in Maldives. She is also a member of the Youth Standing Committee on Higher Education.
