The International Cricket Council chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice are reportedly in Pakistan and are seeking assurances from the board that it will send its team for the World Cup in India. The Board of Control for Cricket in India and the Pakistan Cricket Board are seemingly not on the same page over the venue for the Asia Cup 2023. As per a report by PTI, the ICC top brass are in Lahore and are seeking for PCB to not push for a hybrid model for the ODI World Cup in India.
The development comes after the chief of PCB Najam Sethi said that the Men in Green will not come to India for the 50-over tournament if the Men in Blue does not travel to Pakistan for the 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," an insider told as quoted by 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," the insider added.
India and Pakistan matches are a blessing for viewers as audiences like to watch these two arch rivals locking horns. Moreover, as the two neighbours don't play bilateral series, the excitement seemingly goes up. "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," the source added.
Sources say that this is the reason why BCCI and Jay Shah are not wanting to accept the hybrid model for the Asia Cup. BCCI and PCB are not on the same page regarding the venue of the Asia Cup. While PCB wants the tournament to be held in a hybrid model, sources inform that BCCI secretary Jay Shah is reluctant of accepting the said model. He is reportedly wanting only a few matches of the regional event to be held in Pakistan and the rest to played in other venues like UAE and Sri Lanka.
