BCCI's refusal leaves Pakistan tournament in doubt

Karachi: The BCCI’s refusal to send its team to the Asia Emerging Nations Cup scheduled in Pakistan this April has put a question mark on the tournament’s organisation in the country.

An official in the Pakistan Cricket Board said that since India was not willing to send its team to Pakistan, the Asia Emerging Nations Cup could be shifted to either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

“We agreed to host the event in April this year on the understanding that all nations would participate in it,” he said.

PCB chairman Najam Sethi told the media in Dubai that as head of the Asian Cricket Council, he would soon be calling a meeting of the ACC in Colombo to take final decisions on the Asia Emerging Nations Cup and Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in India in September.

He said Pakistan s participation in the Asia Cup in India was also subject to conditions.

India has steadfastly refused to play Pakistan in a bilateral series since the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.

And even in the ICC and ACC forums, it has been reluctant to give any concessions to Pakistan.

Sethi also made it clear that his participation in the ICC board meetings in Kolkata in April would be dependent on whether the ICC could obtain a visa for him from India.

“I have no interest in traveling to India. If the Indian authorities issue a visa I will go if not the ICC should see,” he said.

Sethi also said that the next meeting of the ACC would be conclusive as venues and dates for the Asian Emerging Nations and Asia Cup events would be decided.

“We will soon decide the dates for the meeting in Colombo,” he added.