ODI World Cup 2023: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Najam Sethi, is in no mood to back down against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan rejected his proposed ‘Hybrid Model’ for Asia Cup 2023. The PCB Chief reportedly told International Cricket Council (ICC) that Pakistan will not play at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad unless it’s a knockout game.
Barclay and ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice recently visited Karachi seeking assurance from Sethi that Pakistan would not demand to play their World Cup matches at a neutral venue.
“Sethi has conveyed to Barclay and Allardice that Pakistan is reluctant to play matches in Ahmedabad unless it is a knockout game, such as the final. He requested the ICC to schedule their games in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, provided the national team receives clearance from the Pakistan government to travel to India for the global event scheduled in October and November”, a senior PCB source was quoted as saying.
PCB has cited security concerns for Pakistani players in Ahmedabad as their hesitance to play at the venue.
The PCB official further revealed that Sethi urged ICC officials to convince the BCCI to accept Pakistan’s Hybrid Model for the Asia Cup, although it is highly unlikely.
Sethi also made it clear to ICC that the board would not endorse the new revenue-sharing model unless its share was increased in the upcoming five-year cycle.
He argued that Australia and England regularly engage in bilateral series with India, and their players participate in the Indian Premier League, generating extra revenue for their boards.
The BCCI and ICC officials, presently in London for the World Test Championship Final, are expected to finalize the World Cup schedule and venues in the coming days.
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