BCCI secretary Jay Shah won't visit Pakistan for Asia Cup: Report

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has quashed reports in the Pakistan media which had said he would be visiting the country during the Asia Cup. Shah, however, has said he won’t be making any such trips during, before or after the continental tournament.

“I have not agreed to anything. This is just plain miscommunication. Probably done deliberately or mischievously. I’ll not be making any visit,” Jay Shah was quoted by News18 CricketNext.

The report adds that the BCCI secretary Shah and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf had met on the sidelines of the ICC Chief Executives (CEC) meet in Durban where they had discussed the Asia Cup and the 50-over World Cup.

Arun Dhumal, CEC representative of BCCI at ICC, also denied Shah or anyone from the Indian board will be present for the Asia Cup in Pakistan.

“Whatever the reports, they’re completely false,” Dhumal said.

“There was no such discussion held. Neither India is travelling to Pakistan nor our secretary will be travelling contrary to reports that have surfaced. Only the schedule was finalised,” Dhumal told news agency PTI.

Asia Cup will be played under a ‘hybrid arrangement’ where Pakistan will host four games and Sri Lanka nine games – including the India matches and the knockouts.

The report quotes an anonymous source as questioning the rationale behind a supposed visit in the first place when India are due to play their matches in Sri Lanka.

“Unless this is for mischievous reasons. The two met and discussed the Asia Cup and World Cup in India later this year but that was it. Asia Cup hybrid arrangement remains in place where Pakistan will host some games and Sri Lanka hosts majority of the tournament because Pakistan kept insisting on it,” said the report.

Despite the Pakistan government forming a high level committee to look into the team’s participation in the ODI World Cup, slated to take place entirely in India, PCB have maintained their go ahead to the ICC over their participation. On it, a BCCI official was reported as saying, “there’s nothing to add to it.”