PCB unhappy with Jay Shah revealing Asia Cup schedule before official announcement in Lahore

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed unhappiness over Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah revealing the schedule shortly before it was to be officially announced at an event in Lahore. Shah, who also happens to be the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that is responsible for organising the Asia Cup, announced the schedule on Twitter half an hour before it was to be officially released by the PCB at an event at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore on Wednesday.

I am happy to announce the schedule for the highly anticipated Men's ODI #AsiaCup2023, a symbol of unity and togetherness binding diverse nations together! Let's join hands in the celebration of cricketing excellence and cherish the bonds that connect us all. @ACCMedia1 pic.twitter.com/9uPgx6intP

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 19, 2023

It thus made PCB’s schedule announcement in their event pointless though they also unveiled the tournament trophy in the presence of chairman Zaka Ashraf as well as Pakistan legends Waqar Younis, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and others. “The PCB had a clear understanding with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) (that) it would release the schedule of the Asia Cup, five minutes after the ceremony started in Lahore. But unfortunately, half-an-hour before the ceremony started around 7.15 P.M, Jay Shah had announced it on social media,” one reliable source in the board told PTI. Read | How India and Pakistan can play against each other three times in 2023 Asia Cup The source said that the decision to announce the schedule by Shah had spoilt the PCB’s ceremony, which was held but lost its relevance as the schedule was already out. The source added that the PCB had conveyed its displeasure to the ACC over the incident, but was told it was all due to a misunderstanding. “The ACC’s explanation was about misunderstandings over the time difference and all that, but the thing is, India is half-an-hour ahead of Pakistan time, so Jay Shah’s announcement was a shock,” the source said. Another source in the board said it appeared as if Shah had settled scores for the unprofessional manner in which the PCB chairman Ashraf and the sports minister, Ehsan Mazari, had handled the meeting held between Shah and Ashraf in Durban during the ICC annual meeting. “It appears as if Jay Shah settled scores after the confusion and questions he had to face over, whether he had accepted an invitation from Zaka to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup matches which was widely circulated by Mazari and the PCB in the media,” the source said. The Asia Cup is scheduled to start on 30 August in Multan with hosts Pakistan taking on Nepal in the tournament-opener. The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, who are placed in Group A, will be held in Kandy on 2 September. Pakistan will host four out of the 13 matches of Asia Cup 2013 including the first Super 4s fixture, while the remaining nine matches including the final will be played in Sri Lanka.