- Friday, May 03, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
With the row over Pakistan hosting the Asia Cup tournament this year continuing, another former Pakistan cricketer has spoken defensively on the matter saying if India were taking a strong stance on the matter, they were doing so from their position of strength and that even the International Cricket Council (ICC) would not be able to do anything before the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The 45-year-old former Pakistan captain, who represented his country internationally between 1996 and 2016, said this on Pakistan’s Samaa TV when he was asked about India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s take that it would not be possible for Pakistan to boycott the 50-over World Cup scheduled in India later this year as a tit for tat if India refuse to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
Officials and players, both current and former, of the two arch-rivals have engaged in a war of words over India’s decision to not to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup tournament and reports that it could be shifted to some other country. The Pakistani side has threatened to pull out of the 50-over World Cup if their Asia Cup is jeopardised.
“If anyone is unable to stand on his own feet and then the decision to make strong calls is not easy. They have to look at plenty of things. India agar aankhe dikha raha hain (If India is showing attitude), or taking such strong stance, then they have made themselves that strong, hence they are being able to talk like this, otherwise they wouldn’t have the courage. At the end it’s making yourself strong and then take decisions,” Afridi, who captained Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup held in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, said.
“I have no idea, will India visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup? Will we boycott the ODI World Cup in India? But we need to take a stand at some point or the other. In this case ICC’s role becomes crucial, they should come forward. I think even ICC won’t be able to do anything in front of BCCI.”
He also said, “I can also get emotional and say that Pakistan should go and play the World Cup but these decisions should be taken with a lot of planning. We also have to look after our economy and it all depends on where we stand in the world at the moment. So, we should not take any decision emotionally.”
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), said last year that India will not travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023. The decision over the final venue of the tournament has been put off in the latest meeting of the ACC.
Javed Miandad, another former Pakistan captain, recently slammed India over the row and even said that it didn’t matter even if India didn’t play. However, Abdur Razzaq, another former all-rounder from Pakistan, said it would be good for the game if Asia Cup was shifted from his country.
