Pakistan cricket team is second most watched team in India after Team India: Ramiz Raja makes BOLD claim

Ramiz Raja, the head of the PCB, has reaffirmed that if Pakistan is denied the chance to host the Asia Cup in 2023, their cricket team may skip next year's ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in India. The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board did, however, state that he would like to see both nations host one another once again. Since 2013, Pakistan and India haven't played each other outside of a white-ball event because of tense political ties between the two countries.

Earlier, this October, the tension between the two cricket boards started yet again after BCCI secretary Jay Shah reportedly said that Team India won't be travelling to Pakistan and called for a change in venue to a neutral host. In reply, PCB threatened to pull out of the ODI World Cup which would be held within a month after that Asia Cup next year.

Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket on Saturday, Ramiz Raja said, "We don't want to really go there but it's just that the fans want us to react. The fans are absolutely bitter because of what India's narrative has been regarding India-Pakistan." Raja further slammed BCCI's stance as "unfair" and said that the PCB would resist a change in venue for the Asia Cup.

"I think there's a government policy and I've got no idea whether they'll come or not," he said. "The Asia Cup would mean a great deal to the fans, it's a multi-nation tournament. We will resist."

"I'm all for India-Pakistan contests, I've said this on record," he stated. "I absolutely love the fans, and they like us as well - Pakistan has become a brand in international cricket, the players have got fan following in India, and I know that the second most watched team in India after India is Pakistan, so they take interest in our development.

"We want to go and play, but the fact is it has to be on equal terms. You can't be subservient to a certain cricket board. We've survived without India now for a good number of years. Pakistan have looked at the scales of economy in-house and somehow have survived extremely well."