Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi takes a dig at ACC for not shifting Asia Cup 2023 venue from Colombo

Currently, the 16th edition of the Asia Cup is taking place in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The group stages of the Asia Cup 2023 have been completed and teams such as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh have qualified for the Super Four stage of the tournament.

As the four teams gear up for the Super Four stage of the competition, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Najam Sethi has taken a dig at the Indian Cricket Board secretary, Jay Shah for not shifting the Asia Cup 2023 games of the Super Four stage from Colombo.

The weather report for Colombo is not great for the next few days as there are chances of thunderstorms in the city. Sethi was confused after coming across the discussion of changing the venues to Hambantota.

I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made to accommodate Sri Lanka: Najam Sethi

Sethi opined that the ACC has informed the PCB of the change in the venue but he could not understand why the decision got reverted. The 75-year-old questioned that whether Team India feared playing against Men in Green and that's the reason they wanted the game to be called off due to rain.

"Indian Cricket Board/ACC informed PCB today that they had decided to shift next India-Pak match from Colombo to Hambantota because of rain forecasts. Within one hour they changed their mind and announced Colombo as the venue. What’s going on? Is India afraid to play and lose to Pakistan? Look at the rain forecast!" Sethi wrote on X (Formally Twitter).

BCCI/ACC informed PCB today that they had decided to shift next India-Pak match from Colombo to Hambantota because of rain forecasts. Within one hour they changed their mind and announced Colombo as the venue. What’s going on? Is India afraid to play and lose to Pakistan ? Look… pic.twitter.com/8LXJnzoXNf

— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) September 5, 2023

The first match between the two sides was called off due to rain after the completion of Indian innings. Najam Sethi took to X  and requested the ACC to shift the tournament to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as per the hybrid model.

"How disappointing! Rain mars the greatest contest in cricket. But this was forecast. As PCB Chair, I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made to accommodate Sri Lanka. Too hot in Dubai. "But it was as hot when the Asia Cup was played there last time in Sep 2022 or when IPL was played there in April 2014 and Sep 2020. Politics over sport. Unforgivable!" Sethi wrote on X.

How disappointing! Rain mars the greatest contest in cricket. But this was forecast. As PCB Chair, I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made to accommodate Sri Lanka. Too hot in Dubai, they said. But it was as hot when the Asia Cup was played there last time in…

— Najam Sethi (@najamsethi) September 2, 2023