Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah has reacted to former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President Najam Sethi’s recent remarks on the Asia Cup 2023 schedule, stating that ACC decided to host Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka, despite the rains, as the other teams were reluctant to play ODIs in the immense heat of the UAE.
In a statement, Shah said: “In my capacity as ACC President, I was committed to finding a viable and mutually agreeable solution. To this end, I accepted the hybrid model that was proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the ACC management.”
“However, it’s important to note that the leadership of the PCB underwent several changes, and this resulted in some back-and-forth negotiations, particularly regarding crucial aspects such as tax exemption and insurance for matches,” he added.
Notably, the ACC was criticised by not only the fans but also by many former players after the highly-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan was washed out due to continous rain on Saturday(September 2).
Shah stated thay players’ health was the primary concern amid UAE’s scorching heat.
“The Asia Cup 2022 edition was played in the UAE in the T20 format. It’s important to emphasise that the dynamics of a T20 tournament cannot be directly compared to those of a 100-over One-day format. In this context, ACC members received feedback from their respective high-performance teams, expressing concerns about playing One-day matches in the UAE in September,” stated Shah.
“Such a schedule could have potentially led to player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup.” added Shah.
As of now, several reports suggest that the Super 4 games could be shifted to Hambantota after the Sri Lankan capital experienced heavy rains.