“India’s Other Sport teams travelling to Pakistan then why….” Najam Sethi’s Blunt Question To BCCI
Sethi blasted BCCI saying that India are indirectly telling Pakistan to not come for the World Cup.
Crickate
In the midst of talk about a hybrid model for the upcoming Asia Cup and PCB chief Najam Sethi's repeated emphasis on it being a precedent for the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, it was reported earlier this week that Pakistan will play India in the ODI World Cup's marquee match at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium. Given the magnitude of the game, there is no greater venue in India that could host such a match, but PCB chief Najam Sethi has harshly criticized BCCI's World Cup plan.
According to Cricbuzz, India will open the World Cup against five-time champion Australia in Chennai on October 15, followed by a match against archrival Pakistan at the Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad on the same day.As stated in the report, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is anticipated to make the official announcement on the World Cup schedule immediately following the IPL, after receiving approval from all relevant parties.
In an interview with Indian Express, Sethi criticized BCCI's claim that India is indirectly instructing Pakistan not to attend the World Cup.
"When I learned that the Pakistan match would be played in Ahmedabad, I smiled and thought to myself, 'This is one method to prevent our team from visiting India. It might have made sense if you'd said Chennai or Kolkata," he explained. "I don't want to get into the politics of it, but there clearly seems to be a political angle to this, as Ahmedabad is the only city where we may have security concerns.
Consequently, I believe the less said about that the better. It gave the impression that this was a red herring that was tossed in our direction to warn us that we would be playing them in Ahmedabad. You are aware of who controls Ahmedabad."
Sethi also discussed his relationship with BCCI secretary Jay Shah amid the ongoing Asia Cup and ODI World Cup dispute.
He stated, "Jay Shah and I get along famously, we have no serious issues, and we've had lengthy sessions. And we are a welcoming group. The only issue is that he never gives me an explanation for his refusal to perform in Pakistan. He simply chuckles and says, 'Well, you know how the situation is, so let's not discuss it. Find alternative solutions. Then we discover alternative solutions, and this is one I've found: the hybrid model, which I recognize as a compromise."
