Asia Cup 2023: “If you want us to participate, do change the venue” says Ashwin

• Ravichandran Ashwin has poked fun at Pakistan in the midst of Asia Cup.
• Decision about the location of the Asia Cup will be made in March.
• Sethi charged Jay Shah for “unilateral decision” without consulting.

Ravichandran Ashwin, an Indian spinner, has poked fun at Pakistan in the midst of the doubt surrounding the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) ability to host the upcoming Asia Cup in 2023.

There has been no official announcement from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) regarding shifting the tournament outside of Pakistan, despite repeated statements from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah that India will not tour Pakistan.

The decision about the location of the Asia Cup will be made in March, according to an emergency meeting that was held on Saturday in Bahrain.

Najam Sethi, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), asked for the meeting to be called.

The off-spinner believes it would be impossible for Pakistan to skip the 50-over World Cup in 2023 in India.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said: “Asia Cup was supposed to take place in Pakistan. But India has announced that if it takes place in Pakistan, then we won’t be participating. If you want us to participate, do change the venue.”

“But we have seen this happen many times. When we say that we won’t go to their place, they will say that they will also not come to our place. Similarly, Pakistan has said that they will also not come to the World Cup. However, I think it is not possible,” he added.

Prior to the ODI World Cup in India, the ODI Asia Cup is slated to take place in Pakistan in September.

The ACC head Shah did not mention the Asia Cup’s venue when he released the schedule for the continental organisation in December of last year.

Sethi charged that Jay Shah, ACC president, had taken a “unilateral decision” without consulting with other boards.

It should be noted that in October of last year, Shah had told the media that India would not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and that the event would be moved to a neutral location.

Ramiz Raja, the previous PCB president, responded by pledging that Pakistan will not travel to India for the 50-over World Cup, which is slated to take place there in October-November of this year.

After political unrest in the nation, Sri Lanka Cricket hosted the T20 Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE last year. If the competition is relocated outside of Pakistan, it might hold it once more.

Qatar has also expressed interest in serving as a neutral site for the tournament.

Also Read

Asia Cup 2023: “If India doesn’t want to come, we don’t care” says Miandad

Jay Shah announced that BCCI will insist on a neutral location for...