Pakistan cricket team lost series against England and Australia on home soil after which ex-cricketer Ramiz Raja was removed from the post of President of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Pakistan, for now, are official hosts of Asia Cup 2023, but BCCI secretary Jay Shah's statement regarding India's participation in the tournament raised doubts over that. Couple of months ago, Shah had said that Men in Blue wouldn’t travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 and that the premier ICC tournament would get moved out of Pakistan.
Back then, former PCB chief Ramiz Raja had retaliated by saying that Pakistan won't travel to India for 50-overs World Cup in 2023 if they refuse to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023.
Speaking on Duniya News, Raja said, "One positive from my stint as a chairman was that I provided leadership. If you remember, New Zealand had left, and we told them that what you did was unfair. The England team refused to come; we spoke with them, following which they played 7 T20Is instead of 5, two extra. The ECB staff visited Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium; they came to my office and apologised. Similarly, Australia also visited."
"Kya hum sab servant rahenge India ke, kyunki woh ek world power hain apne hisab se. Kya hum har cheez unki mante jayenge?"
"We will think, will we get isolated? We'll ask permission from the government, then talks will move further. These are not signs of good leadership. The Pakistan cricket team is enjoying a great run; you have a good fan following; you have superstars, so please give your team and fans the respect they deserve."
"There should be a decision on the matter, as the tournament was given to Pakistan, so how can it be shifted to a neutral venue without consulting us or the ACC members," he added.