BCCI state India won't participate in the Asia Cup if matches are played in Pakistan
The BCCI has made it clear that whilst it does not have any problem with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) hosting the Asia Cup, India will not be participating in the tournament if it is held in Pakistan.
It’s clear with this statement that the BCCI wants the tournament to be held at a neutral venue or the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will have to go ahead with the tournament without India participating.
In the past week, there’s been a lot of speculation regarding the venue for the Asia Cup, with reports emerging that Pakistan had invited Bangladesh to play in the country by promising them hosting rights for the Asia Cup.
However, PCB chief executive Wasim Khan rubbished these claims and also went on to state that Pakistan will pull out of the 2021 T20 World Cup to be held in India if the BCCI does not send the Indian team for the Asia Cup, before backtracking later and stating that his comments were blown out of proportion and taken out of context.
Now, a BCCI official has come out and stated that the Indian team will not play on Pakistani soil, thereby giving the tournament a miss. The official went on to add that if India are to participate in the Asia Cup, the multi-nation tournament has to be held at a neutral venue.
"The question isn't about the PCB hosting the tournament. It is about the venue and as things stand now, it is quite clear that we would need a neutral venue. There is no way that an Indian team can visit Pakistan to even participate in a multi-nation event like the Asia Cup,” a BCCI official told news agency IANS.
“If the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is ok with an Asia Cup minus India then it is a different ball game. But if India is to participate in the Asia Cup, then the venue cannot be Pakistan," the official said.
Hosting India’s games at a neutral venue is a possibility that has already been considered by the PCB, which has prompted them to offer an alternate plan that specifically caters to India's fixtures being played outside the country.
Notwithstanding the fears with regards to the Indian team's safety and security in the country, the amount of time it would take to accrue visas for the travelling Indian contingent (just like it did for Pakistan when they travelled to India for the 2011 World Cup) is also a deterrent and it would be best if India's matches are held at a neutral venue.