The Asia Cup 2023 schedule announcement has been marred by controversy after the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Jay Shah, revealed the schedule through a social media post. This move has left the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) disgruntled as it disrupted their planned official ceremony in Lahore to announce the fixtures and unveil the coveted trophy for the tournament. The PCB claims there was an agreement with ACC to release the schedule only after the ceremony, leading to expressions of concern and accusations of score-settling between the two cricket boards.
According to the PCB, they had a clear understanding with the ACC that the Asia Cup schedule would be released five minutes after the official ceremony in Lahore began. However, Jay Shah took to social media and unveiled the schedule half an hour before the ceremony started, leaving the PCB disappointed and feeling that the ceremony had lost significance.
“The PCB had a clear understanding with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) (that) it would release the schedule of the Asia Cup, five minutes after the ceremony started in Lahore. But unfortunately, half-an-hour before the ceremony started around 7.15 P.M, Jay Shah had announced it on social media,” a PCB official was quoted as saying by PTI.
It is alleged that Jay Shah’s actions might have been influenced by a previous disagreement between him and PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf. After an ICC meeting in Durban, there were reports that Shah would visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2023, which he later had to clarify as false. This led to speculation that the schedule revelation might have been an attempt by the BCCI to settle scores with the PCB.
“It appears as if Jay Shah settled scores after the confusion and questions he had to face over, whether he had accepted an invitation from Zaka to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup matches which was widely circulated by Mazari and the PCB in the media,” the source concluded.
ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule Announced, Click Here To Check Full Schedule
Despite the controversy, the Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to begin on August 30 in Multan, with the host nation, Pakistan, facing Nepal in the opening fixture. A high-profile clash between India and Pakistan is set to take place on September 2 in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The tournament will be played under a hybrid model proposed by the PCB, with Pakistan hosting four out of 14 matches in their home country, while the remaining matches will be held in Sri Lanka.
