Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir slams BCCI over their Asia Cup 2023 stand and says they come up with various lame excuses like bad weather, the expenses are too high, and security reasons.
Amir Slams BCCI Over Their Aisa Cup 2023 Decision
Asia Cup 2023 was scheduled to be held entirely in Pakistan but BCCI Secretary Jay Shah last year had made it clear that the Indian team will not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 and demanded that the event be moved to a neutral venue.
Following India’s demand for a neutral venue, PCB threatened to boycott the ODI World Cup 2023 scheduled to play in India between October-November.
Following the disruption between the two boards, the proposal of a hybrid model emerged as a viable solution. The move will also ensure that PCB can retain the hosting rights for the continental event.
Pakistan initially offered UAE as a second venue citing the lucrative opportunity for gate receipts during Pakistan-India matches in the tournament, but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather in the middle east in September.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is being completely written off, which means it is being treated disrespectfully. It’s like the cricket board, or Pakistan cricket itself, has no worth at all, and they [BCCI] are making continuous efforts to prove that,” Amir said.
“It is being proven that whatever you do, it doesn’t affect us, and it’s like if you tell a child not to eat a chocolate, he will say I will eat it and will continue to say the same thing. Whenever PCB says to do this or that, BCCI comes up with various lame excuses like bad weather, the expenses are too high, security reasons,” he added.
Amir praised the PCB for extending exceptional hospitality to the ICC visiting delegation, emphasizing that every measure had been taken to ensure their security.
Mohammad Amir argued that the cricketing world should focus on promoting a peaceful environment for the sport, regardless of the country in which it takes place.
“There is only one model, and that is cricket. Let it stay right; whether it’s happening in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, or Bangladesh, please let it happen peacefully instead of with unnecessary stubbornness like children. If someone creates a security issue even in Pakistan, the ICC team was here four days ago; I was also there at the National Cricket Academy. PCB provided them with such hospitality,” he concluded.
Notably, Pakistan and India do not play bilateral cricket and only meet in global tournaments or multi-team events since 2013 due to strained political tensions between the two countries. The two teams last played each other at the 2022 Men`s T20 World Cup in Australia.
