India agar aankhe dikha raha hai, they have made themselves that strong: Shahid Afridi on Asia Cup 2023 row

Add as a preferred source on Google

Talking about Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) rigid stance on India not travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, Shahid Afridi has explained that it won't be easy for Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to retaliatiate and think of boycotting the 2023 World Cup in India.

The former captain reckoned that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) aren't financially strong, adding that BCCI has made themselves strong enough to dictate terms.

Afridi urge PCB to make itslef strong before retaliating

“If anyone is unable to stand on his own feet and then the decision to make such strong calls is not easy,” Afridi told Samaa TV.

“They have to look at plenty of things. India agar aankhe dikha raha hain (If India is showing you their eyes), or taking such strong stance, then they have made themselves that strong, hence they are being able to talk like this, otherwise they wouldn’t have the courage. At the end it’s making yourself strong and then take decisions," he added.

Afridi opined that ICC should interrupt before passing his own verdict that even the global governing body "won't be able to do anything".

“I have no idea, will India visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup? Will we boycott the ODI World Cup in India? But we need to take a stand at some point or the other. In this case ICC’s role becomes crucial, they should come forward, but let me say it even ICC won’t be able to do anything in front of BCCI,” the 45-year-old, who served as PCB's internim chief selector recently, asserted.

Earlier this month, BCCI secretary and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah had said that owing to the diplomatic strains between India and Pakistan countries, a cricket tour was out of cards.

“We [India] can’t go there [to Pakistan], they can’t come here. In the past also, the Asia Cup has been played at a neutral venue,” Shah had said after the 91st BCCI annual general meeting in Mumbai, in the presence of new board president Roger Binny.

Following the comment, PCB had hinted retaliation and warned the BCCI against a long-term implication.

“The comments were made without any discussion or consultation with the Board of the Asian Cricket Council or the Pakistan Cricket Board (event host) and without any thoughts towards their long-term consequences and implications,” PCB had stated.

India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has also given his view on the matter.

“Asia Cup was supposed to take place in Pakistan. But India has announced that if it takes place in Pakistan, then we won’t be participating. If you want us to participate do change the venue. But we would have seen this happen many times. When we say that we won’t go to their place, they will say that they will also not come to our place. Similarly, Pakistan has said that they will also not come to the World Cup. But however, I think it is not possible,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.