PCB wishes to shift out the U19 Asia Cup from India

With the Indo-Pak ties not holding out too well, the current developments can further make it a sour bond between the two nations. Pakistan has gone public in expressing their wish to shift out the U19 Asia Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Bangalore in the month of November. The PCB is set to come out with a resolution during the upcoming development and annual general meetings of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on August 11 and 12.

Shaharyar Khan is the current president of ACC, and therefore the PCB is expecting this particular decision to go their way. “Since Pakistan is current chair of ACC, we will discuss this matter on August 12 in Colombo,” Najam Sethi, head of the PCB’s executive committee, told ESPNcricinfo. “There are secure neutral venues outside India and Pakistan where the championship can be held.”

Th last time these two sides locked horns in a bilateral series dates back to 2012-2013, where India hosted their neighbouring country for a 3-match ODI series. But they have met in the ICC tournaments, with Pakistan defeating India in the recently held Champions Trophy finals.

The BCCI and the PCB have been at logger-head off the field with the latter seeking INR 1 billion in compensation from India for failing to honour a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2014, agreeing to play five bilateral series against each other over the next eight years. The situation at the border doesn’t look healthy and therefore India have stayed away from playing Pakistan in any kind of bilateral events.

Visa issues?

An insider told the media that Pakistan may well face visa issues prior to the tournament, and other such issues have made them think of a shift in the venue in order to participate the high-profile tournament. With the tournament set to start in another three months, it will be interesting to see whether the last minute change is made and the event gets shifted from Bangalore.