'Pakistan can't boycott World Cup in India,' says Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra said there’s no point in taking Pakistan’s threat of boycotting next year’s World Cup in India as he believes it’s them, who will be at loss for such a call.

PCB recently threatened to pull out of the 2023 World Cup in India after BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed that India won’t travel to Pakistan next year for the Asia Cup while adding that the tournament will be hosted at a neutral venue instead.

Aakash Chopra, however, said he is willing to give in writing that things will go down the way BCCI wants it to be as Asia Cup is a much smaller tournament in comparison to World Cup.

“Asia Cup might not happen at all if India don’t participate, there’s no chance. The Asia Cup is a minor tournament compared to the World Cup. Skipping the World Cup means you will end up forgoing a massive amount of revenue that ICC shares (with the participating nations). It’s a case of who blinks first. So I’m not taking this seriously. I feel the Asia Cup 2023 will be held and at a neutral venue,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

He further added that BCCI has a stronghold over the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), also the organisers of Asia Cup, as they take no money from the continental body while other nations earn money from it.

“Of course, ACC is a consortium. But few are aware of the fact that India doesn’t take a penny from ACC. Everybody takes a certain amount from the (ACC) coffer whether 4 million or 8 million but India ends up distributing their amount instead,” Chopra said.

“India has been playing the role of a big brother in ACC. If it has been said that the team might not travel to Pakistan, then I can give you this in writing that India won’t. The Asia Cup will also be held at a neutral venue. And Pakistan will also definitely come to play in the World Cup (in India)… Take all this from in writing. All these things are guaranteed,” he added.

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