Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja came hard at the present PCB chairman Najam Sethi for his comment on the possibility of a venue for the Asia Cup 2023. The multi-nation competition would be held at a neutral location as the Indian senior men’s squad won’t travel to Pakistan because of security concerns and political tension between the two arch-rivals.
PCB Chairman Najam Sethi spoke in Sports Hour that they are a possibility that the tournament might take place in England and Stated that since Pakistan is the host, it is up to them to decide where it will take place.
“England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Najam Sethi said in an interview.
Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja is baffled by Najam Sethi’s comments as he questioned the mental stability of the present Chairman and said that the continental event will act as good preparation for Asian teams before the all-important ODI World Cup, later this year.
“I was shocked to hear the Chairman PCB saying it would be great to see the Asia Cup being played at Lord’s. Is he mentally stable or not?” Ramiz Raja questioned.
“The whole point of Asia Cup before the World Cup was that the teams get familiar with the conditions of the sub-continent,” he stated.
As of now, all the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan are suspended due to political reasons. The arch-rivals do not play any bilateral series against each other and only take on each other during ICC events or Asia Cup.
How Does That Make Sense? – Ramiz Raja On Najam Sethi’s Contrasting Statements
Ramiz Raja questioned Najam Sethi’s contrasting statements on hosting tournaments in Pakistan as they wanted to organize PSL 9 in UAE citing taxation issues with Pakistan Government and on the other hand, taking a strong stance in hosting Asia Cup 2023 in Pakistan
“Another statement that made me angry was Mr. Chairman telling the press they want to organize PSL season 9 in UAE because there are issues with taxation in Pakistan,” he said.
“On one hand you’re saying that Pakistan is safe for cricket regarding Asia Cup but on the other hand you are saying that PSL should not be conducted in Pakistan, how does that make sense?” Ramiz Raja added.
Earlier it was reported that PCB is mulling hosting a few games in the UAE to reduce cost-cutting, which was discussed in the meeting, but it had a difference of opinions between the franchises as most of the sides showed keen interest to play the games in Pakistan.
In PSL 2023, speculations were doing the rounds about the high cost imposed on the franchises for ground management and electricity bills, and the PCB had previously paid PKR50 million to the Punjab government for expenses on food.