The top officials of all the cricket boards are currently in Durban, South Africa, for International Cricket Council (ICC) annual general meeting. Newly-appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah met on the sidelines of the ICC meeting in Durban on Tuesday.


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A picture of Zaka Ashraf and Jay Shah soon went viral on social along with a report that the BCCI secretary is reportedly planning to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 tournament next month. The Asia Cup 2023 is being played in a ‘hybrid model’ with Pakistan hosting 4 matches before the tournament shifts to Sri Lanka after the first four matches.


“Chairman PCB management committee Zaka Ashraf met BCCI secretary Jay Shah in Durban, South Africa earlier today and invited him to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Jay Shah accepted the invitation and in return invited Zaka Ashraf to opening ceremony of 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad. Zaka Ashraf also accepted the invitation and he will travel to India before the first match,” Pakistan freelance journalist Farid Khan claimed.



However, both Jay Shah and BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal have both vehemently denied any such plans of the BCCI. Jay Shah, who is the son of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, denied all reports that he will be visiting Pakistan and claimed he had no such plans.


“I have not agreed to anything. This is just plain miscommunication. Probably done deliberately or mischievously. I’ll not be making any visit," Jay Shah was quoted as saying by News18 website on Wednesday morning.


BCCI secretary Shah and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf met on the sidelines of the ongoing ICC meet in Durban where the two discussed the Asia Cup 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.


Arun Singh Dhumal, CEC representative of BCCI at ICC, has also denied that Shah or anyone from the BCCI will be travelling to Pakistan at all. “Whatever the reports, they’re completely false,” Dhumal told News18 website.


Meanwhile, Pakistan Interior Minister Ehsan Mazari continued his demand for India to play their Asia Cup 2023 matches in Pakistan. “I told Zaka Ashraf to convince the ICC in the meeting in Durban to ask India to play their Asia Cup matches in Pakistan. If they don’t want to play here, then we will also play our World Cup matches at a neutral venue. We will not play in India,” Ehsan Mazari was quoted as saying by Dawn News.


India are scheduled to take on Pakistan in an ODI World Cup 2023 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 15.