Shahid Afridi's take on the issue of the Asia Championship stand-off

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has expressed his views on the Apex Council of India’s standpoint on the Indian Cricket Team not travelling to Pakistan for the upcoming ODI Asia Championship this year.

Afridi said that the International Cricket Board should intervene in this matter and resolve the problem though he questioned the International Board’s power to get a strong hand on the Indian Council. 

“India agar aankhe dikha raha hain (If India is showing you their eyes) or taking such a strong stance, then they have made themselves that strong, hence they are being able to talk like this, otherwise they wouldn't have the courage,' Afridi said during an interview with a Pakistani news channel. 

'At the end, it's making yourself strong and then take decisions.'

Afridi who was recently serving as the interim chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Council under Najam Sethi added that the International Cricket Council’s position remained important if India didn’t change their mind from the present determined stance of touring Pakistan.

'Will India visit Pakistan for the ODI Asia Championship? Will we boycott the ODI World Championship in India? We need to take a stand at some point or the other.'

Indian Cricket Council’s Secretary and Asian Cricket Board’s President Jay Shah who is the son of India’s home minister Amit Shah had stated that keeping in mind the current state of relations with the neighbouring country, an Indian Team playing in Pakistan was never a question

The problem will now be brought up when the Asian Cricket Board meets again in Dubai in March 2023.