The head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, has repeated that if the Men in Blue decide not to compete in the 2023 Asia Cup, the Men in Green will not be visiting India. Raja remarked that Pakistani cricket had survived without playing bilateral series against India for ten years while speaking to Michael Atherton on the sidelines of the present Pakistan-England Test series.
“We don’t want to really go there but it’s just that the fans want us to react. The fans are absolutely bitter because of what India’s narrative has been regarding India-Pakistan,” Raja told Sky Sports Cricket during Multan Test match between Pakistan and England.
“I think there’s a government policy and I’ve got no idea whether they’ll come or not,” he said. “The Asia Cup would mean a great deal to the fans, it’s a multi-nation tournament. We will resist.”
Ramiz Raza supports India-Pakistan series
Raja continued by saying that he supports the India-Pakistan series wholeheartedly, but on an equal terms.
“I’m all for India-Pakistan contests, I’ve said this on record. I absolutely love the fans, and they like us as well. Pakistan has become a brand in international cricket, the players have got fan following in India. And I know that the second most watched team in India after India is Pakistan, so they take interest in our development,” Raja told Atherton.
“We want to go and play, but the fact is it has to be on equal terms. You can’t be subservient to a certain cricket board. We’ve survived without India now for a good number of years. Pakistan have looked at the scales of economy in-house and somehow have survived extremely well.”
The continental competition will be held at a neutral site, as the BCCI has previously stated Team India won’t travel to Pakistan for it. The PCB has vowed to boycott the World Cup in retaliation.
When was Pakistan last travelled to India for bilateral series?
Pakistan last travelled to India in 2012 for a brief five-match bilateral white-ball series (2 T20Is and 3 ODIs), excluding international and continental competitions.
The last time the neighbours hosted a multi-nation tournament was in 2016, when India hosted the T20 World Cup. Pakistani players were able to obtain government approval at the last minute. The most recent tour to Pakistan by Team India was during the 2008 Asia Cup.
Two key ICC competitions that Pakistan is anticipated to host in the upcoming three years are the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup, which will be played in a 50-over format and the biggest 2023 World Cup.
The nation will be serving as the host for two key ICC events for the first time. It was speculative, though, that the PCB and other officials will not be pleased with BCCI’s selection of a neutral venue.
