Former Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad has lashed out at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not sending the Indian men’s cricket team to the 2023 Asia Cup. Miandad stated that Pakistan does not require India to survive nor does India govern cricket. He demanded that the ICC take action against India.
“India can go to hell if they don’t want to come to Pakistan to play cricket,” the 65-year-old said at a recent public event. “I’ve always backed Pakistan. And you know that I don’t spare India whenever an issue arises. But the thing is we need to look at our part. And we should fight for it. We don’t care because we are getting to host our cricket. This is ICC’s job. If ICC can’t control this there’s no use of the governing body. They need to implement similar rules for every team. If teams like these don’t come, they should be debarred. India hoga, apne liye hoga. Hmare liye nahi hai,” said the Pakistani ex-cricketer.
Despite the fact that Pakistan has lost 12 of the 13 previous World Cup matches and innumerable other matches against India, the Pakistani cricketer amusingly labelled India as being scared to confront Pakistan due to the fear of defeat.
“Why is India afraid to play against Pakistan? They know if they lose to Pakistan, their public will not spare them. Narendra Modi will disappear, their public won’t leave him.”
“It’s India’s old habit to run away from Pakistan. This isn’t something new, I’ve known them from my playing days.”
“India ran away from Sharjah when we started winning there, they didn’t want to play us. Their public used to set the players’ houses on fire when they lost to us. Their players, including Gavaskar, had some much trouble after losing to us.”
Miandad was reacting to the controversy that has erupted over the venue for the 2023 Asia Cup in recent months.
Controversy over the hosting right of the 2023 Asia Cup previously held by Pakistan
The Asia Cup 2023 was slated to be held in Pakistan, and there were uncertainties over whether the Indian cricket team would travel there to participate. While there were rumours that the Men in Blue were planning to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, Asian Cricket Council President and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had in October last year clarified that India will not be visiting its neighbouring country for the Asia Cup next year. Instead, Jay Shah indicated that the Asia Cup 2023 will most likely take place at a neutral location.
“We will have Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue. It’s the government which decides over the permission of the team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup it’s decided that the tournament will be held at some neutral venue,” Jay Shah told reporters after the 91st Annual General Meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was held on October 18th, 2022, in Mumbai.
“The venue for the 2025 Championship trophy is still to be decided, we will comment on that when it is decided. We are getting good earnings from our Media rights. Our motive is domestic players should get more benefits as our earnings are increasing,” he added.
In December 2022, ACC chairman Jay Shah released the itinerary of the continental body and the venue of the Asia Cup wasn’t mentioned.
This led to PCB chief Najam Sethi accusing Shah of taking a “unilateral decision”, an allegation that ACC officially refuted stating that repeated emails to PCB seeking recommendations on the itinerary went unanswered.
Lashing out at Jay Shah’s decision, PCB chief Sethi recently threatened BCCI that Pakistan will pull out of the 2023 World Cup if Asia Cup is played at a neutral venue. PCB had asked for an emergency meeting to discuss Asia Cup hosting rights.
The Asian Cricket Council recently held its Executive Board Meeting in Bahrain.
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) February 4, 2023
Big things await Asian Cricket in 2023! https://t.co/xJPBzaWWOq pic.twitter.com/SmUK7eGH3i
To put an end to the tussle, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) held an emergency meeting to discuss Asia Cup hosting right in Bahrain on February 4, 2023, where Shah reiterated that there is no chance of the Asia Cup being held in Pakistan in September. BCCI has said that India can’t participate in the Asia Cup in Pakistan as the government of India has not permitted the Indian team to travel to Pakistan. Instead, UAE and Sri Lanka are two potential alternatives. A final decision on the venue will be taken in March.
Notably, Pakistan was isolated from hosting international tournaments since the attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in Lahore in 2009. For the last three years, Pakistan has started hosting international tournaments but India is yet to visit the hostile neighbour. Over the years consistent terrorist activities from the other side of the border have been strictly dealt with by the Indian government by strategically isolating Pakistan on multiple fronts.
Cricket tournaments between the two countries have been limited to ICC and ACC events. Notably, India’s cricket team has not played any match in Pakistan since 2008. Pakistani team visited India for the last time for T20 World Cup 2016.
