India to visit Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023?

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board (BCCI) is open to sending its team Pakistan for next year’s Asia Cup, media reports said on Friday.

According to Cricbuzz, India’s Asia Cup visit is certainly on BCCI’s agenda.

A BCCI note, circulated among the state associations on Thursday ahead of the October 18 Annual General Meeting (AGM), lists out India's engagements in next year's multilateral events with Asia Cup in Pakistan being one of them.

Pakistan are scheduled to host the 50-over Asia Cup in the second half of 2023 following which the World Cup will take place in India. And going by the AGM note, the BCCI seems to be open to travelling to Pakistan which has been a no-go area since 2008, when India had taken part in an Asia Cup.

When contacted, the BCCI officials were reluctant to take a position but what is of significance is the fact that Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, is the president of Asian Cricket Council (ACC). “It will be subject to the clearance of the Government of India as always,” said a BCCI official maintaining the oft-repeated position. There is always this alternative of hosting the event in the UAE, like this year's Asia Cup, but the BCCI note seems to be indicating otherwise.