BCCI denies Jay Shah accepted Zaka Ashraf's invitation to visit Pakistan
Cricket
According to sources, the meeting between the two officials was conducted in a friendly atmosphere
DURBAN (Dunya News) - The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday denied reports that its secretary Jay Shah had accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan ahead of Asia Cup.
The denial comes a day after BCCI Secretary Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) interim Management Committee chairman Zaka Ashraf met on the sidelines of the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in South Africa. Ashraf met Jay Shah and invited him to visit Pakistan.
According to sources, the meeting between the two officials was held in a friendly atmosphere. Shah extended his congratulations to Ashraf for assuming his position as the chairman of the PCB management committee, and they engaged in discussions on various topics.
One of the main subjects of their conversation was Pakistan's participation in the upcoming World Cup and the potential increase in matches to be played in Pakistan as part of the Asia Cup, according to the hybrid model that has been accepted.
Zaka Ashraf also extended an invitation to Shah to watch Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, which the BCCI secretary accepted.
"Pakistani people know how to welcome and take care of their guests. This is a good start. We will have more such meetings in future," Ashraf said.
Similarly, Shah also invited Ashraf to watch the World Cup matches in India, which the PCB chief also accepted.
In addition to the Asia Cup and World Cup discussions, Shah and Ashraf also focused on bilateral cricket relations between Pakistan and India.
Earlier that day, Zaka Ashraf expressed his intention to explore the resumption of bilateral cricket between the two countries in an interview with a local news outlet. He emphasised the importance of establishing confidence-building measures between the cricket boards of both nations and promoting cricket relations.
The last bilateral series between Pakistan and India took place in 2012, and since then, they have only faced each other in multi-lateral tournaments.
Regarding Pakistan's participation in the World Cup, Ashraf stated that the committee formed by the prime minister would determine the venues and ensure adequate security arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the government.
The 2023 World Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct 5 to Nov 19 in India.
