Pakistan threatens to withdraw from the World Cup 2023 when Jay Shah announces the Asia Cup at a “neutral location.”

The 2023 Asia Cup would be staged in a neutral location, according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah, setting the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards on a collision track on Tuesday. The neighbors then threatened to boycott the ODI World Cup in 2019. As a lead-up to the prestigious World Cup in India, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has given Pakistan the hosting rights for the 50-over Asia Cup in 2023.

Shah also serves as the head of the Asian Cricket Council. Before Tuesday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai, letters were sent to BCCI members mentioning the issue of India playing the Asia Cup in Pakistan. After the AGM, Shah was cited by several cricket blogs as stating, “We have opted to play at a neutral location.”

The fact that the continental tournament has previously been moved to a neutral location was one of the justifications given for not playing in Pakistan. After the November 26 terrorist assault in Mumbai, India hasn’t visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup, and the planned bilateral series in early 2009 was postponed as a result.

The second reason given was the terrorist assault on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore, which prevented any foreign team from visiting the nation for more than ten years owing to security concerns.

However, there hasn’t been any bilateral cricket between Pakistan and India in the previous ten years. In 2012, Pakistan did visit India for a brief six-match white-ball series. Only in different ICC and ACC competitions have the two teams faced off against one another. The PCB is annoyed that international cricket has returned to the nation with all the major teams traveling there to play Test matches and white-ball rubbers, including England, Australia, and the West Indies.

Ramiz Raja, the chairman of the PCB, is said to be considering pulling out of the 50-over ICC World Cup in India, according to sources close to him. A senior PCB source spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity and said, “The PCB is now prepared to take hard decisions and play hardball because it is also aware that the ICC and ACC events will have to face commercial liabilities and losses if Pakistan does not play India in these multi-team events.”