The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided not to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023. This decision was made at the Annual General Meeting held in Mumbai yesterday, October 18.
The Asia Cup is a continental championship that is held every two years and alternates between One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20 International matches. The tournament is organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Pakistan is all set to host the Asia Cup in 2023, but the major concern around the event has been India’s participation, which was uncertain until the Annual General Meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
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India’s decision not to participate in the Asia Cup comes as a major blow to Pakistan’s hopes of hosting the event. BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, said that while Pakistan is a “safe and secure” place to play cricket, the Board has decided that it will not send the team to Pakistan and instead demand that the event be shifted to a neutral venue.
This is not the first time that India has refused to play cricket in Pakistan. In 2009, following the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, India pulled out of a scheduled Test series in Pakistan. Since then, Pakistan has been forced to play its home matches in neutral venues such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The last time India played a bilateral series in Pakistan was way back in 2006 when both countries last met for an ODI series. India has since then only played Pakistan at multi-nation tournaments like the Asian Games, Champions Trophy, and World T20.
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The BCCI’s decision not to send the Indian cricket team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup comes as a major setback for Pakistan. The country has been trying to convince India to play cricket there for years now but hasn’t been successful so far. With this latest development, it looks like Pakistan’s chances of hosting the Asia Cup are slim to none.
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