“No comments or suggested modifications were received from PCB”: ACC hits back at PCB chief Najam Sethi over Asi Cup row

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has strongly denied allegations made by Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi that ACC President Jay Shah made unilateral decisions regarding the organization’s two-year program.

In a statement, the ACC said that it followed established due process and that the calendar was approved by its Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee on December 13, 2022. It was then sent to all participating member nations, including the PCB, on December 22, 2022, but no comments or suggested modifications were received from the PCB.

The ACC, led by Shah on the day, released a statement calling out the PCB chairman.

“It has come to our knowledge that PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has made a comment on the ACC President (Shah) unilaterally taking the decision on finalising the calendar and announcing the same. The ACC wants to clarify that it has followed established due process,” the ACC said in its statement.

“The calendar was approved by its Development Committee and Finance & Marketing Committee in a meeting held on December 13th, 2022. The calendar was then communicated to all the participating members individually, including Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), via an e-mail dated December 22nd, 2022,” it further stated.

“While responses were received from certain Member Boards, no comments or suggested modifications were received from PCB. In view of the above, Sethi’s comments on a social media platform are baseless and are vehemently denied by the ACC,” the statement stated.

The ACC’s statement went on to say that Sethi’s comments on social media are baseless and are denied by the ACC.

The ACC calendar for 2023-24 and pathway structure, which includes the ODI Asia Cup scheduled for September, was announced by Shah on Thursday. However, the host country’s name was not included in the calendar as Shah had previously stated that the tournament would be moved out of Pakistan and India would not be able to travel there.

The tension between India and Pakistan has prevented bilateral cricket between the two countries since 2012, and India has not visited Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup.