Former Pakistan batter Javed Miandad has reacted sharply to the latest developments surrounding the controversy of hosting the Asia Cup 2023 after a final decision was not made in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting which was held on Saturday, February 4 in Bahrain.
In his explosive comments, Miandad has now said that Pakistan doesn’t need India’s support and they will be fine if the Men In Blue don’t tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September this year.
Notably, both the BCCI and the PCB have been at loggerheads after Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah, who is also the chief of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), said last year that the tournament would be played at a neutral venue and not in Pakistan.
As per reports, the tournament would be moved out of Pakistan and held in the UAE even though the governing body, in its official statement, said that “constructive” discussions on the Asia Cup were held during the meeting and a final call would be taken only in March.
“The ACC had a constructive dialogue on the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The Board agreed to continue discussions on operations, timelines and any other specifics with a view to ensuring the success of the tournament,” the official statement read.
Speaking to the media at an event in Pakistan, Miandad slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for not taking action against India for not traveling to Pakistan.
“I have said this before as well, India can go to hell if they don’t want to come to Pakistan. It doesn’t bother us. It is ICC’s job to ensure that India comes. If ICC can’t control it then what’s the use of being a governing body?
“It should have the same rules for every team, if they don’t fulfill commitments, however, strong they may be. India doesn’t run cricket. It may be a powerhouse but in its home, not for us, and not for the world. Come play in Pakistan, why don’t you play? If India lose in Pakistan, their public will not tolerate that.
“ICC should take strict action. Why is it there if they are not able to control these things? They have to put an end to things. ICC should take action against this kind of issue,” he added.
Earlier, former PCB chief Ramiz Raja had threatened to boycott the 2023 ODI World Cup by Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the current PCB President Najam Sethi reiterated the board’s stand, saying Pakistan’s decision on whether or not the senior men’s team would travel to India will be taken by the government.