The Asia Cup 2023 is underway and so are controversies. The absence of the name of ‘Pakistan’ on Indian team jerseys has stirred quite a row.
The Indian team played Pakistan in their Asia Cup opener. The lack of the host nation’s name in Indian jerseys grabbed eyeballs as the game was abandoned because of rain.
It is an established norm to have the names of the host nations of a tournament on the jerseys of national teams. Given the feisty relations between India and Pakistan, the issue becomes magnified, with everyone seeing the oversight in a different light.
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PCB’s stance
PCB tried to de-escalate the situation by revealing that the ACC had decided after last year’s Asia Cup that the host country’s name would not be used with the Asia Cup logo in future events.
“At an Asian Cricket Council meeting last year, it was decided the practice of the hosts’ name on the players’ shirts will be stopped,” a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board told TOI.
A BCCI source however refuted the claim, denying any such decision had been made.
Ex-players slam governing bodies
Former Pakistan cricketers Rashid Latif, Mohsin Khan came down heavily on PCB and Asia Cricket Council (ACC) for not pressing for a change in the team jerseys.
“This is unacceptable and it is the Asian Cricket Council which must explain this oversight since the Asia Cup is their property,” Latif said.
“Makes no sense at all. Then why has the ACC given the host country’s name on the logos for their Asian Emerging Nations Cup or their Asian under-16 event held in July in Malaysia,” former Test batsman Mohsin Khan was furious.
Even if the ACC had taken such a decision, why did the PCB agree to it specially since Pakistan was hosting a multi-team event after 15 years? The question remains.
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