In a recent development, Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has denied reports suggesting that he accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan.
The speculation arose after his meeting with Zaka Ashraf, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Interim Management Committee, on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in Durban, South Africa. This meeting took place amidst uncertainty surrounding Pakistan’s visit to India for the upcoming World Cup scheduled from October 5 to November 19.
A statement was made by an unnamed minister claiming that Shah had agreed to visit Pakistan to personally assess the security arrangements. It was also mentioned that Shah extended an invitation to Zaka to visit India prior to the World Cup. However, both Shah and the BCCI promptly refuted these assertions.
Shah clarified that he had not agreed to any such visit and labeled the reports as miscommunication, possibly intentional or mischievous. He affirmed that he would not be making any trip to Pakistan. The BCCI echoed Shah’s stance, asserting that no discussion concerning a visit to Pakistan took place during the meeting between Shah and Ashraf. Arun Dhumal, a BCCI official and chairman of the Indian Premier League, also present at the ICC meeting, supported these statements. Dhumal emphasized that the meeting primarily focused on finalizing the schedule of the Asia Cup, which will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a “hybrid model” from August 31 to September 17.
Dhumal revealed that the Asia Cup schedule had been confirmed during the meeting, with four league-stage matches to be held in Pakistan and nine matches, including the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan encounters, scheduled in Sri Lanka. He clarified that there were no plans for India to travel to Pakistan and expressed confidence in the successful execution of the tournament according to the discussed arrangements.
In conclusion, Jay Shah and the BCCI have denied reports of Shah accepting an invitation to visit Pakistan. They have clarified that the meeting with Zaka Ashraf primarily centered around finalizing the Asia Cup schedule and reiterated that India has no plans to tour Pakistan.
