Zaka Ashraf reacts to Jay Shah’s U-turn on Asia Cup invitation

Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) management committee, met Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah on sidelines of an International Cricket Council meeting in Durban, South Africa.

The meeting between the two officials was conducted in a friendly atmosphere. Shah extended his congratulations to Ashraf for assuming his position as the chairman of the PCB management committee.

In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, Ashraf revealed that he extended an invite to Shah, to attend the upcoming Asia Cup's opening ceremony, with Shah responding kindly by inviting Ashraf to the World Cup matches in India.

"I got to know that Jay Shah is the Secretary General of BCCI. When I went to South Africa, so I offered him to meet and talk. So we sat down for a conversation, and it went smoothly. Jay Shah gave his point of view, and I also in exchange reciprocated equally well. I invited him to the opening of the Asia Cup, and he promised that he'd definitely attend it. Conversely, he also invited me to the World Cup matches in India; I assured him of my presence over there," Ashraf said.

However, the positive developments were short-lived. News of the aforementioned invitations were announced on media in Pakistan, and this led to some complications. Certain individuals within the Indian cricket board expressed reservations about the matter, and Jay Shah issued a statement clarifying that no such agreement had been reached.

"Everything was almost decided and agreed upon. However, the moment Pakistan media channels broke this news, people from behind the scenes in India said that this is not possible. To top that off, Jay Shah released a statement saying they don't intend to do so. We also affirmed that whenever they agree, we shall cordially work towards the betterment of the relations. Gradually, we'll take steps forward and get the final breakthrough," Ashraf added.

Regarding Pakistan's participation in the World Cup, Ashraf stated that the committee formed by the prime minister would determine the venues and ensure adequate security arrangements in accordance with the requirements of the Government of Pakistan.