The Indian cricket board on Wednesday rejected reports claiming its secretary Jay Shah had accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan ahead of the Asia Cup. The denial comes a day after Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee Chairman Zaka Ashraf met on the sidelines of the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in South Africa. The meeting between the two cricket board chiefs had taken place amid doubts about Pakistan visiting India for the World Cup, which is set to be staged from October 5 to November 19. After the meeting, Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Ehsanur Rehman Mazari had told Dawn that Shah had accepted Ashraf’s invitation to visit Pakistan ahead of the Asia Cup

 “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. Shah has accepted the invitation and has also invited Zaka in return to visit India ahead of the World Cup,” the minister told Dawn. However, the BCCI — while confirming that a meeting did take place between Shah and Ashraf — said that “no such discussion” was held. “Neither India is travelling to Pakistan nor our secretary will be travelling contrary to reports that have surfaced,” BCCI official Arun Dhumal — who is also the chairman of the Indian Premier League — told Press Trust of India. Dhumal was also in South Africa for the ICC meeting. In his statement, he said that the meeting between Shah and Ashraf was held to finalise the schedule of the Asia Cup, which will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka under a “hybrid model” from August 31 to September 17.

 “Our secretary met PCB head Zaka Ashraf and the Asia Cup schedule was finalised and it is on course as it was discussed earlier,” the official noted. “There will be four games at the league stage in Pakistan, followed by nine games in Sri Lanka, including both India vs Pakistan games and a third game if both teams play the final,” he said.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP