“Not the BCCI's call” - Roger Binny on whether India will travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023

BCCI president Roger Binny has made it clear that the cricket board cannot make a decision over whether or not the Indian team will travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year. The 1983 World Cup winner stated that the government will take a call on the same.

While Pakistan are scheduled to host the Asia Cup in 2023, a major controversy erupted a couple of days back after BCCI secretary and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah revealed that India will demand a neutral venue for the tournament.

At a press conference on Thursday, October 20, Binny shared his thoughts on the raging controversy and said:

"That's not the BCCI's call. We have to get clearance from the government. Once we get clearance, we give a go-ahead. We can't take the decision on our own."

Earlier in the day, India's sports minister Anurag Thakur also toed a similar line and said that the country's home ministry will decide on whether India will travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. He said:

"It's a decision that will be taken by the home ministry. Overall, players' safety and security is an important matter."

Thakur, however, hinted that he is expecting Pakistan to play the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, saying:

"All teams who qualify for [the World Cup] are invited [to India]. Many times Pakistan teams have come to India and played. I feel India is not in a position to be dictated [to] and there is no reason for anyone to do that. I expect all countries to come and compete."

India will be the sole hosts of the 50-over World Cup next year. Earlier, they had co-hosted the ICC event in 1987, 1996 and 2011.

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What Jay Shah said about possibility of India traveling to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023

Releasing a statement after BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on Tuesday, October 18, board secretary Jay Shah said that India will not travel to Pakistan for the 50-over Asia Cup. His official statement read:

"Neutral venue for Asia Cup is not unprecedented and we have decided that we will not travel to Pakistan. I have decided that we will play at a neutral venue.”

Incidentally, Jay Shah is the son of Amit Shah, India's minister of home affairs.

Responding to the BCCI, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also came out with an official statement over the issue. Expressing disappointment, PCB wrote:

“The PCB has noted with surprise and disappointment of yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) comments made by the ACC President Mr Jay Shah with regards to shifting of next year’s Asia Cup to a neutral venue.

"The comments were made without any discussion or consultation with the Board of the Asian Cricket Council or the Pakistan Cricket Board (event host) and without any thoughts towards their long-term consequences and implications."

India have not played an international match in Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008. Their last bilateral series in the neighboring country was in 2005-06.