Board of Control of Cricket India (BCCI) President Roger Binny and Vice President Rajeev Shukla will travel to Lahore in the first week of September to participate in the Asia Cup 2023.
BCCI sources have confirmed that the Indian board has accepted the invitation of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and as representatives of the board, both Binny and Shukla are allowed to watch the group match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Gaddafi Stadium on September 5.
This is a significant development as the BCCI had previously refused to send the national team to Pakistan citing security reasons, prompting the PCB to adopt a “hybrid model”. This will be the first visit by BCCI officials to the neighboring country since 2012, when political tensions increased between the two countries.
“They (Binny and Shukla) will first travel to Sri Lanka to see the Indian team in action and then cross the Attari border into Pakistan on September 3,” a BCCI source said.
Asia Cup 2023: What do we know so far?
On the sidelines of the ICC meeting in Durban last month, PCB chief Zaka Ashraf reportedly invited BCCI secretary Jay Shah, head of the Asian Cricket Council, to attend the Games in Lahore, but officials of the BCCI denied those reports.
But it seems to have been a change of mind. “As a key member of the Asian Cricket Council, the PCB had invited the BCCI, and they decided that the president and vice president would come to the neighboring country, after discussing with stakeholders,” the source said.
While four matches of the Asia Cup 2023 will be played in Pakistan, with Lahore hosting three matches, the remaining matches of the tournament will be held in Sri Lanka, with Pallekele and Colombo as venues.
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