After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) cleared on Thursday that there were no chances of the Indian cricketers and the Pakistani cricketers coming together for the Asia XI vs World XI Twenty-20 matches, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that the BCCI is twisting the facts.
The dilemma of whether the Indian and the Pakistani cricketers will come together or not was there ever since the ICC approved the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision to host two T20 matches between the Asia XI and World XI to celebrate the birth centenary of ‘Bongobondhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh.
But with BCCI’s clarification, the matter seemed to have died immaturely before PCB made its claim that the matter was discussed at a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) where the Pakistani delegation had informed that the date of the T20s were clashing with the 2020 edition of the Pakistan Super League.
Reportedly the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had asked Pakistani cricketers to be part of the Asia XI as well but the PCB made it clear that it will send its players if only the dates were altered, which was not made possible by Bangladesh.
“The T20Is between World XI and Asia XI were scheduled from March 16-20, while the HBL PSL 2020 is likely to end on March 22. Since dates of both the series couldn’t be changed, we offered our regrets to the BCB, both verbally and in writing, which they understood and accepted,” a PCB spokesperson was quoted as saying by IANS.
“It is unfortunate that the facts were twisted to mislead Pakistan cricket fans and followers,” he added.
BCCI joint secretary Jayesh George had said on Thursday that the Pakistani players will not be a part of the Asian team as they were not invited.
“What we are aware of is that there will be no Pakistan players in the Asia XI. That is what the message is, so, there is no question of both countries coming together or picking one over the other. Sourav Ganguly will decide the five players who will be a part of the Asia XI,” IANS quoted George as saying.