New Delhi: PCB chairman Najam Sethi, in a tweet, claimed that the decisions regarding the Asia Cup were taken solely by ACC president and BCCI secretary Jay Shah. ACC has denied the claims and issued a statement saying that PCB was informed about all the details of the tournament. While there have been statements from BCCI and PCB regarding hosting the Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup, the political tussle has now taken a new turn.
Jay Shah, on January 5, shared the details of all ACC competitions to be held over the next two years. Replying to the tweet, Najam Sethi sarcastically thanked Jay Shah for ‘unilaterally’ announcing the schedule, which includes the Men’s Asia Cup, which is to be held in Pakistan. He added that Shah should also present the details of PSL 2023 as well.
Thank you @JayShah for unilaterally presenting @ACCMedia1 structure & calendars 2023-24 especially relating to Asia Cup 2023 for which ?? is the event host. While you are at it, you might as well present structure & calendar of our PSL 2023! A swift response will be appreciated. https://t.co/UdW2GekAfR
— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) January 5, 2023
Replying to the claim of ‘unilaterally’ taking the decisions, ACC said that PCB was mailed all these details on December 22, but no response had been received. The statement added that ACC followed due process and the calendar was approved by its Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee on December 13.
Interestingly, the Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee of the ACC has no members from Pakistan and December 22 was the day when Sethi replaced Ramiz Raja as the new chief of PCB.
Official media statement in response to @najamsethi ‘s comments on the ACC 2023-2024 calendar and pathway structure: https://t.co/mBXpeNOXYb
— AsianCricketCouncil (@ACCMedia1) January 6, 2023
While Pakistan was the designated host for the Men’s Asia Cup 2023, Jay Shah earlier made an announcement regarding moving the tournament to a neutral venue as India cannot travel to Pakistan. This has led to a tussle between BCCI and PCB as both are hosting big events this year.
Presenting the @ACCMedia1 pathway structure & cricket calendars for 2023 & 2024! This signals our unparalleled efforts & passion to take this game to new heights. With cricketers across countries gearing up for spectacular performances, it promises to be a good time for cricket! pic.twitter.com/atzBO4XjIn
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) January 5, 2023