Pakistan, on Tuesday, threatened to pull out of next year’s World Cup in India, reacting strongly to BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s statement that they would prefer to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the next edition of the Asia Cup next year as per Asian Cricket Council’s executive board’s decision. Incidentally, Shah is the president of the Asian Cricket Council.
After the BCCI AGM in Mumbai on Tuesday, Shah in an informal gathering of reporters stated that “India will play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.”
Sources close to PCB chairman Ramiz Raja indicated that one of the options that they are mulling after Shah’s statement is to pull out of 50-over ICC World Cup in India.
“The PCB is now prepared to take hard decisions and play hard ball because it is also aware that the ICC and ACC events will have to face commercial liabilities and losses if Pakistan does not play India in these multi-team events,” a senior PCB source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
India does play Pakistan at global or continental events but haven’t travelled to the neighbouring country since 2008 Asia Cup. Pakistan last came to India for a short six-match white ball bilateral series in 2012.
