'It appears as if Jay Shah settled scores'

The Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed its dissatisfaction over BCCI Secretary Jay A Shah, who is also president of the Asian Cricket Council, announcing the schedule for the Asia Cup 2023 before its official ceremony in Lahore earlier this week.

The PCB had organised an event to announce the Asia Cup schedule along with unveiling the trophy on Wednesday, July 19 evening, in Lahore, which was attended by former Pakistan cricketers and PCB's cricket management committee headed by Zaka Ashraf.

Half-an-hour before the start of the event, Shah announced the schedule on social media.

"The PCB had a clear understanding with the Asian Cricket Council (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 pm, Jay Shah announced it on social media," one reliable PCB source told PTI.

Shah's decision to announce the schedule spoilt the PCB's ceremony, the source added, which was held but lost its relevance as the schedule was already out.

The PCB conveyed its displeasure to the ACC over the incident, the source stated, but was told it was all due to a misunderstanding.

"The ACC's explanation was about a misunderstanding 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 said.

Another PCB source said it appeared as if Shah had settled scores for the unprofessional manner in which PCB Chairman Ashraf and Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari had handled the meeting held between Shah and Ashraf in Durban during the ICC annual meeting.

"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," the source said.

The Asia Cup is scheduled to start on August 30 in Multan with the hosts Pakistan taking on Nepal in the tournament pener.

The much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, who are placed in Group A, will be held in Kandy on September 2.

Pakistan will host four out of the 13 matches of Asia Cup 2013 including the first Super 4s fixture, while the remaining nine matches including the final will be played in Sri Lanka.