'You know who rules Ahmedabad' - PCB chief Najam Sethi blasts Indian cricket board over India-Pakistan ODI World Cup venue

Jay Shah: (Image Source: Twitter)

The high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup is set to take place on October 15 at the world's largest venue, Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, according to recent reports. Given the intensity of the game between two of the most bitter rivals, no better arena in India could host this contest, which can accommodate 132,000 spectators.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi expressed displeasure with the venue and blasted the Indian Cricket Board, claiming that India is indirectly telling Pakistan not to come for the World Cup. Earlier, there were reports that the PCB has threatened to boycott the World Cup following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. However, Pakistan made a U-turn and allowed their men to tour India for the much-awaited tournament.

Reacting to the report in an interview with The Indian Express, Sethi said: "When I heard that the Pakistan match was to be in Ahmedabad, I smiled and said to myself – ‘this is one way to make sure we don’t come to India’. I mean if you’d said Chennai or Kolkata, it might have made sense."

“I don’t want to go into the politics of it but certainly there seems to be a political angle to this because if there’s one city where we might have security issues, it’s Ahmedabad. And therefore, I think the less said about that, the better. It gave the impression that this was a red herring that was thrown in our way to tell us, ‘hey, we are going to play you in Ahmedabad and you watch out. You know who rules Ahmedabad," the PCB chief added.

Have no real issues, we are very friendly: Sethi on his equation with Jay Shah

Sethi also clarified that there are no "real issues" between him and Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jai Shah. "I get along famously with Jay Shah, we have no real issues, we’ve had long sessions. And we are very friendly," he said,

"The only problem is that he never gives me a reason for not playing in Pakistan. He just smiles and says, ‘Well, you know how the situation is, so let’s not discuss this. Let’s find other solutions.’ And then we find other solutions and this is a solution I have found – the hybrid model – which I know is a compromise," the 74-year-old concluded.

As per report, Pakistan will play all its matches in four cities namely Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bengaluru. India will kick off their World Cup campaign against Australia in Chennai. However, the Indian Cricket Board is expected to announce a formal schedule after the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League 2023.