A day after India secured hosting rights for the Asia Cup 2025, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has called for moving the continental tournament out of India.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former cricketer claimed that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah played a huge game by giving the right of the tournament to India.
“Well done, Jay Shah. You’ve killed two birds with one stone. You kill two birds with one stone, but Basit Ali kills three birds with one stone. Now let me give you some free advice. Try to shift the Asia Cup to some other country. Jay Shah could take a U-turn after my show” Ali said.
According to the former cricketer, the Greenshirts will not travel to India if the BCCI refuse to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025.
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However, he said that Jay Shah gave a ‘lollipop’ to Pakistan by scheduling Asia Cup 2025 in India, so that a hybrid model can be used in both events.
“Jay Shah knew that India would have to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy; otherwise, Pakistan won’t come for the Asia Cup. Pakistan won’t even go for the T20 World Cup if India says no for the Champions Trophy. To hell with the hybrid model. There could also be another lollipop of India adopting a hybrid model for the Asia Cup so that Pakistan do the same for the Champions Trophy,” Basit Ali said.
While Pakistan has strongly objected moving any Champions Trophy 2025 game out of the country, BCCI has not officially made an official statement over India’s travel plans to the country.
Meanwhile, Basit Ali was of the view that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Mohsin Naqvi was as sharp as Jay Shah.
“I agree Jay Shah is very sharp, but the guy in front of him, the current PCB chairman, is also in the same league. Now you will have to come forward openly and declare that the Asia Cup is in India, so we would have to go to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy,” the ex-cricket concluded.
