BCCI puts Asia Cup in Pakistan on Indian team’s roster for 2023

PTI, Oct 14, 2022, 7:35 PM IST

Image credit: AFP / File

New Delhi: The Indian cricket team may tour Pakistan after a gap of 15 years, the BCCI has indicated ahead of its all-important Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 18 in Mumbai.

The BCCI has shared with all its state unit representatives a lowdown of the work done during the past year along with future plans and schedule of the national team’s tours, which includes the Asia Cup in Pakistan next year.

According to the report, the Indian team will be participating in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (South Africa), ICC Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup (South Africa), Asia Cup (Pakistan) and ICC Cricket World Cup, India.

With England, Australia, West Indies and Sri Lanka having already toured Pakistan in the past few years, it will be interesting to see how things pan out as BCCI will need central government’s permission to allow the team to travel to Pakistan.

“Obviously, when the time comes, it will be a government decision. But there is one aspect. The government allows India versus Pakistan contests in global and continental events. So there is a chance of India travelling but it will be too early to completely commit that a team will go to Pakistan. But putting it on report is a broad hint,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Currently, the Asian Cricket Council is headed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and his decision will hold a lot of weight going forward.

The two neighbours last played a bilateral white-ball contest back in 2012 when Pakistan travelled to India for three T20Is and three ODIs.

India last travelled to Pakistan in 2008 for the 50-over Asia Cup.

The political tension between the two nations resulted in halting bilateral cricket ties.