BCCI President Roger Binny and Vice-President Rajeev Shukla are set to journey to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. Their primary intention is to be present at the September 5 match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Lahore. The move follows an invitation from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), prompting the decision to send Binny and Shukla as representatives of India.
Remarkably, this choice came about following a year of ongoing tensions between the two cricket boards. Initially, BCCI’s secretary Jay Shah declared that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. This sparked significant controversy as PCB responded by expressing their reluctance to take part in the upcoming ODI World Cup in India.
Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to start in Pakistan on August 30th
Subsequently, extensive deliberations occurred, leading to the eventual resolution of the matter. Pakistan ultimately consented to the hybrid format for the Asia Cup and affirmed its commitment to participating in the World Cup. In the meantime, this marks the initial instance since 2012 that BCCI representatives will make a trip to Pakistan.
A reliable source close to Sportstar has verified this information, indicating that the pair will initially journey to Sri Lanka to observe the Indian team’s matches. Subsequently, they will enter Pakistani soil on September 3rd.
“They (Binny and Shukla) will first travel to Sri Lanka to watch the Indian team in action and will then head to Pakistan, crossing the Attari border on September 3,” the source mentioned. The PCB had invited BCCI and as one of the key members of Asian Cricket Council and after consulting with the stakeholders, the board decided that the president and the vice-president will be travelling to the neighbouring nation,” the source added.
It’s worth mentioning that the neighbouring nations are scheduled to face each other on September 2 in Sri Lanka. Prior to this encounter, Pakistan took on Afghanistan, emerging victorious in the three-match ODI series. Meanwhile, Indian players are presently undergoing training in Alur, Karnataka as well.
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