India will not travel to Pakistan for next year's Asia Cup

By Sports Desk October 18, 2022

India will not travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India's secretary Jay Shah suggesting it will have to be moved to a different host nation.

The tournament, which was last held in the nation in 2008, was awarded to Pakistan following a decision to move the 2022 edition to Sri Lanka.

Though the latter was ultimately moved to the United Arab Emirates owing to an ongoing political and social unrest in Sri Lanka, plans had still appeared set for the 2023 edition to proceed as planned in Pakistan.

But now Shah, who is also the incumbent president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), says the tournament will be moved owing to India's refusal to travel.

"The Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue," he told media after the BCCI's AGM. "I am saying this as ACC President.

"We [India] can't go there [to Pakistan], they can't come here. In the past also, Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue."

The statement is likely to raise eyebrows, given the ACC have not officially discussed the matter, let alone made a decision on the tournament.

India have not played in Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.

Pakistan, meanwhile, have not visited India since 2016 amid strained political relations between the countries.

The pair will meet in the T20 Men's World Cup in Melbourne on October 23.

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