'The PCB had a clear understanding' - Pakistan Cricket Board unhappy over Jay Shah's Asia Cup 2023 schedule announcement

It looks like the tussle between Pakistan Cricket Board and Indian Cricket Board over Asia Cup 2023 is not ending soon. After a mutual understanding on the hybrid model of hosting the tournament jointly in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, now, PCB has expressed their dissatisfaction over a move by the Indian Cricket Board secretary and Asian Cricket Council president, Jay Shah.

It all happened when Shah announced the official schedule of the Asia Cup 2023 before the official event which was to be organized by PCB in Lahore. The ‘trophy launch and schedule announcement’ was supposed to be held in Lahore on Wednesday, the 19^th of July. But it didn’t go down well with the hosts of the tournament as Jay Shah announced it an hour before the official ceremony in Lahore.

“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,” said a PCB source to PTI.

"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 added later.

Here's what a PCB source said about Jay Shah

Apart from this, another source in the Pakistan Cricket Board spoke about the same and he also mentioned the meeting of board chief Zaka Ashraf and Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari in Durban.

"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,” said the other source to PTI.

Notably, the 16^th edition of the Asia Cup will kick off on the 30^th of August next month as the hosts Pakistan will lock horns with Nepal, who are new entrants to the tournament.

Apart from this, the arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take on each other in the group stage match at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy on the 2^nd of September 2023.