India won’t travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup

PTI, Oct 18, 2022, 3:30 PM IST

Credit: iStock Photo

BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday made it clear that India won’t travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year and will instead push for a neutral venue.

The 2023 edition, which will be played in the 50 over format ahead of the ODI World Cup in India, has been allotted to Pakistan.

”We have decided we will not travel to Pakistan. We will play at a neutral venue,” said Shah, who also happens to be the Asian Cricket Council president, after the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) here. He was re-elected as secretary for a second term.

The 2022 Asia Cup was held in the UAE last month after hosts Sri Lanka expressed their inability to host the event amid the economic crisis back home.

India and Pakistan only play each other in Asia Cup and global events due to political tensions between the two countries.

Both teams played twice in the Asia Cup last month and are set to clash in Melbourne on October 23 in the T20 World Cup.

BCCI’s cash reserves grew by approx Rs 6000 crore in last 3 years

At the AGM, outgoing treasurer and new IPL chairman Arun Dhumal informed the state units that the BCCI’s treasury grew from Rs 3648 crore to Rs 9629 crore in the last three years.

The Ganguly-led regime had taken charge in 2019 after the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators’ 33-month tenure.

”When the current team took over the reins of the BCCI in 2019, the BCCI’s coffers had funds of Rs 3648 crore. We are handing over an organisation that sits over a treasury that has Rs 9629 crore of funds which is roughly thrice of what we got at the time of our taking over from COA,” said Dhumal in his speech.

”The disbursement to the state associations has seen a jump of nearly five times, from Rs 680 crore in the COA time to Rs 3295 crore now,” he added.