It looks like PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi’s threat worked as Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is reportedly ready to assess the Pakistan-proposed hybrid model for Asia Cup 2023.
The model would be at an official ACC meeting chaired by President Jay Shah, who is also the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is expected to take place in Dubai in the next two days.
During the high-profile huddle, which will decide the fate of the tournament and future events, all the members will discuss PCB’s hybrid model to host Asia Cup, GeoSuper reported.
The PCB has tabled two options in the hybrid model. First, it was proposed earlier that India will play their matches at a neutral venue, while the rest of the tournament would take place in Pakistan.
The other option the 50-over tournament will be played in two phases. First phase: all teams except India will have to play at least one match in Pakistan. In the second phase: the remaining part of the tournament is to be played in UAE with India participating there.
The PCB presented these models during unofficial meetings with the ACC.
Moreover, the board wants UAE to be the neutral venue as it will ensure that gate money will also go into their account.
However, Sri Lanka’s Dambulla and Pallekele are also in consideration for neutral venues.
It is worth mentioning here that Sethi while speaking to Reuters warned India of caciques of shifting the Asia Cup to a neutral venue.
“They want all the matches in a neutral venue,” he said. “BCCI should take a good, rational decision so that we don’t have any problems going forward. India should not be looking at a situation where we end up boycotting the Asia Cup and also the World Cup, and then India ends up boycotting the Champions Trophy. That will be a huge mess.”
