KARACHI: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah on Wednesday has refuted the claims made by Pakistani media about him travelling to Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2023, terming the fiasco “plain miscommunication, probably done deliberately or mischievously”.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was reported by a section of Pakistani media quoting Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari, that BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has accepted Pakistan Cricket Board Interim Management Committee chairman Zaka Ashraf’s invitation to visit Pakistan ahead of the Asia Cup.
Zaka reportedly extended the invitation to Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, on the sidelines of the ongoing International Cricket Council meetings in South Africa before informing Mazari of the development, claimed the inter-provincial coordination minister himself.
“I just spoke with Zaka Ashraf and he told me that he has invited Jay Shah to visit Pakistan and witness the security arrangements firsthand,” Mazari was quoted as saying by the local media. “Shah has accepted the invitation and has also invited Zaka in return to visit India ahead of the World Cup.”
However, the Indian media on Wednesday quoted Jay Shah as saying, “I have not agreed to anything. This is just plain miscommunication, probably done deliberately or mischievously. I’ll not be making any visit.”
Arun Dhumal, CEC representative of BCCI at ICC, has also denied that Shah or anyone from the BCCI will be travelling to Pakistan at all.
Zaka Ashraf and Jay Shah met on the sidelines of the ongoing ICC meet in Durban where the two discussed the Asia Cup and 50-over World Cup.