Former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi has publicly criticized the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for its choice of Sri Lanka as the venue for the Asia Cup 2023.
Sethi expressed profound disappointment with this decision, suggesting that political considerations appeared to take precedence over the principles of sportsmanship. His criticism stemmed from the recent cancellation of the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan match due to rain in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
In response to this incident, he questioned the ACC’s decision to not include the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a co-host for the Asia Cup, especially considering India’s reluctance to play matches in Pakistan. Sethi insinuated that factors beyond the realm of cricket may have influenced this choice.
Sethi emphasized that the UAE had previously successfully hosted the Asia Cup in similar weather conditions during the September 2022 edition and had also organized Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in April 2014 and September 2020 without encountering weather-related issues.
His comments underscore the importance of transparent and equitable decision-making in international cricket tournaments and shed light on the intricacies of balancing politics and sports within such contexts.
Sethi concluded by suggesting that politics may have cast a shadow over the fundamental values of sportsmanship in the decision-making process.