Jay Shah’s fear forced Mohsin Naqvi’s U-turn on Asia Cup boycott, claims Ex-PCB chairman
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Former PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has revealed the real reason behind helping current Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi and leading him out of the controversial boycott threat made to the ICC amid the ongoing Asia Cup tournament.
After the India vs Pakistan match in the Asia Cup ended with a controversial snub of a handshake by the Indian players, the PCB moved to the ICC and demanded a replacement of the Match referee, holding him responsible for the conduct.
However, the ICC did not consider giving a nod to the claims and stated to the PCB that the match referee was in no way responsible for the lack of conduct in the match, and also cited that Andy Pycroft had instead saved the two captains from embarrassment during the coin toss.
Former PCB Chairman advised Mohsin Naqvi to reconsider boycotting the Asia Cup
The PCB chief had mentioned the boycott of the next group-stage fixture against the UAE if the ICC does not resolve their issue and accept their demand for the sacking of the match referee from the Asia Cup. However, when the ICC turned down their claims, Pakistan made a mockery of itself.
Pakistan players were instructed not to leave their team hotel for the game; however, after some time, Naqvi himself revealed through his social media handle that the players had set out for the Stadium and would be featured in the game.
It was then revealed that Mohsin Naqvi cited the suggestions of his former chairman, Ramiz Raja, and Najam Sethi on the boycott of the Asia Cup. However, the advice opposed Naqvi's initial plans of boycott, as the step could be costly for the cricket board, since they would have to incur huge financial losses.
Pakistan then went on to play the game, and despite some initial struggle, they also won the match to make their way into the Super-4 stage.
Najam Sethi cites irreparable damage to Pakistan cricket as the reason to guide Naqvi
The former PCB chairman, Najam Sethi, alongside Ramiz Raja, had advised the current PCB chief regarding the Asia Cup handshake row controversy and restricted him from boycotting the match. The motivation was to continue in the tournament and to protect the team's honour in the sport.
PCB's financial setback was also kept in mind, while ICC penalties would have been roped in had the board gone ahead with Naqvi's ideals.
“In the heat of the moment, Mohsin Naqvi had decided to withdraw from the Asia Cup. My friends told me don't go, don’t help them. I wasn’t even planning to help Naqvi. If what he was attempting had succeeded, Pak would have suffered irreparable damage along with an ICC penalty and $15 millions," revealed Najam Sethi through Samaa TV.
Pakistan qualified for the Super-4 and will once again clash against India
Known to all that Pakistan has defeated the UAE and made it to the next stage of the Asia Cup. The Super-4 stage will now feature India and Pakistan from Group A and Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from Group B.
Under such a scenario, every team has to play against every other. This will result in an Asia Cup rematch between India and Pakistan, and the men in green will have their chance to avenge the humiliation faced last time.
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PCB Najam Sethi Mohsin Naqvi Asia Cup ICC Pakistan National Cricket Team Ramiz Raja Pakistan Cricket Board Jay Shah
