Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf with Asian Cricket Council head Jay Shah.© Twitter
The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday demanded compensation from the Asian Cricket Council for the loss of gate money it has suffered due to Asia Cup matches being held in Sri Lanka. Although the PCB has not issued any official statement on the matter, some media outlets here have reported that the board’s chairman Zaka Ashraf has sent a formal letter to the ACC president Jay Shah, demanding compensation. Ashraf has expressed his disappointment over the way the scheduling of the matches in Sri Lanka has been handled by the ACC.
Without taking any names, the PCB chief has also asked who was responsible for last-minute decisions to shift venues without taking the other ACC board members into confidence.
Ashraf’s letter also mentions a meeting between some ACC members including those from Sri Lanka and Pakistan after the contest between India and Nepal.
“In the meeting it was agreed that since the forecast is that Hambantota would remain dry the matches in Colombo should be moved there,” Ashraf has written.
As per the letter, it was decided on September 5 by both the host countries and the ACC that matches should be moved to Hambantota, following which Sri Lanka’s head curator was dispatched to prepare the pitches.
The letter also mentions that even the broadcast crew had started making arrangements for moving to Hambantota.
The letter says that the ACC sent an email to the PCB confirming it, which would be sending across a press release to announce the shift in venue.
Ashraf has expressed surprise that after a while, the PCB was told to not consider the email, but later it was announced that the matches would be held as per the original schedule in Kandy and Colombo.
He has also expressed displeasure on the way the hosts Pakistan have been ignored while key decisions on the tournament and venues were taken.
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