Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed "surprise" and "disappointment" over Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah's remarks, stating India will not be travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023.

Upon the conclusion of BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai on Tuesday (October 18), Shah, also the board's secretary, had said BCCI will be seeking an alternate venue to host the 50-over regional event. 

The PCB has objected to Shah's remarks since he is yet to oversee a formal ACC meeting on the issue and was thus speaking unofficially on behalf of the Indian cricket board. 

"The PCB has noted with surprise and disappointment yesterday’s comments made by the ACC President Mr Jay Shah with regards to shifting of next year’s Asia Cup to a neutral venue," the PCB statement reads. 

"The comments were made without any discussion or consultation with the Board of the Asian Cricket Council or the Pakistan Cricket Board (event host) and without any thoughts towards their long-term consequences and implications."

PCB comes hard at Jay Shah's Asia Cup remarks 

PCB also pointed out that the decision to allocate Pakistan the hosting rights for the next year's Asia Cup was taken at an ACC meeting formally precided by Shah and that he can't then "unilaterally" announce that the tournament be shifted to a neutral ground to safeguard India's interests. 

"After having presided over the ACC meeting during which Pakistan was awarded the ACC Asia Cup with an overwhelming support and response from the ACC Board Members, Mr Shah’s statement of shifting of the ACC Asia Cup has clearly been made unilaterally," PCB said.

Led by chairman Ramiz Raja, the Pakistan board also argued that Shah's comments asking for the tournament to be shifted outside Pakistan are contrary to to the "spirit" with which the ACC was formed in the first place. 

PCB indicated that Shah's controversial comments to the media after the BCCI AGM can also "impact" Pakistan's decision to travel to India for the next year's ODI World Cup in October-November and any fruther multi-team events across the border during the next FTP cycle. 

The ACC is yet to make an official statement but the PCB regime has sought an "emergency" meeting of the regional cricket council for what they deem an "important and sensitive matter."