The debate over whether the Indian cricket team will travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Asia Cup continues to rage on. Last year, the Asian Cricket Council President Jay Shah wrote to the ICC requesting a change of venue for the tournament, which was originally slated to take place in Pakistan. In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) threatened to pull out of the World Cup later in the year.
Recently, both boards have been discussing a hybrid model for the Asia Cup, which would involve Pakistan hosting the tournament while India’s matches would be held at a neutral venue, such as Dubai or Abu Dhabi. This decision comes from India’s lack of trust in Pakistan’s security, despite other teams such as England and Australia having full-fledged series there.
Pakistan cricket star Imran Nazir believes that security is just an excuse, and that India is really afraid of losing to Pakistan on their home turf. The last time India traveled to Pakistan was in 2006, and since then, the two countries have only played each other in multi-nation ICC tournaments, such as the World Cups and Asia Cups. Nazir laments that the rivalry has been limited in recent years, and that India cannot tolerate losing, even though it is just a game.
The world is certainly eager to see India and Pakistan go head-to-head, and many hope that the two countries can come to an agreement that allows the rivalry to continue in the future.
