ICC World Cup 2023: In order to obtain assurances from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it won’t advocate for the implementation of a hybrid format for its matches in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India later this year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman and CEO are in Lahore. Despite the ambiguity surrounding the Asia Cup 2023, the ICC wants Pakistan to commit to visiting India during the ODI WC.
Insiders told PTI that Greg Barclay, the chairman of the ICC, and Geoff Allardice, the CEO, came to Lahore expressly to seek Pakistan Cricket Board assurances regarding the participation of the national squad in the World Cup in October-November.
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World Cup 2023: What is Pakistan POV?
The development occurred when PCB president Najam Sethi made it plain that the squad would not travel to India for the World Cup if the Rohit Sharma-led team did not visit Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup.
“The ICC and World Cup hosts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are concerned with the hybrid model being pushed by Najam Sethi who heads the cricket management committee of the PCB,” a source told PTI.
“Although the hybrid model has been suggested by Sethi for the Asia Cup which precedes the ICC event, the concern remains that once accepted for the regional event the PCB might also then ask the ICC to implement it for the World Cup when it comes to Pakistan playing in India,” he explained.
Sethi has previously stated that the PCB may request the ICC to hold Pakistan’s matches at a neutral site if the Pakistani government refuses to give permission or has security concerns about sending the team to India.
“Naturally neither the ICC nor the BCCI want such a situation since Pakistan’s unequivocal participation in matches in India would guarantee the success of Indo-Pakistan matches and also the tournament itself.”
What Jay Shah said for Asia Cup 2023?
According to a different source, Jay Shah, the secretary of the BCCI, was still hesitant to endorse the hybrid Asia Cup concept and support having three or four of the tournament’s games played in Pakistan and the rest matches played in the UAE or Sri Lanka.
Sethi has stated time and time again that Pakistan will not participate in the competition if the Asia Cup is shifted to a neutral country from where it is currently being held in Pakistan. Additionally, he made a suggestion that the World Cup might suffer if Pakistan wasn’t allowed to host some Asia Cup games.
“The ICC officials are trying to work as a bridge between the PCB and BCCI and resolve the outstanding issues pertaining to the Asia Cup and World Cup.”
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