Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to convince the Asian Cricket Council to let Pakistan host the four first-round games or else they would have no option but to pull out of the continental body. This comes after, PCB chairman Najam Sethi's 'Hybrid Model' of Pakistan playing its home games apart from India's matches, in their own country, has been rejected by other member nations.
"Yes, Najam Sethi as part of the plan B of the hybrid model proposed by us for the Asia Cup has informed the ACC this week in Dubai that PCB would be satisfied hosting four games at home," a reliable source close to the cricket board said.
Sethi, according to the source, has proposed a Pakistan versus Nepal match and Afghanistan versus Bangladesh, Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka v Bangladesh matches in Pakistan. He had also conveyed to the ACC in Dubai that if even this plan B of the PCB was rejected by ACC members then Pakistan would neither play in the Asia Cup and also withdraw from the Asian Cricket Council.
The source also added that Sethi had told the ACC officials that PCB would be happy to play most of its remaining matches in Dubai and the tournament's majority of games can be held in Dubai including the final.
"The one challenge now facing the ACC and us as hosts are that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India are insisting the event shouldn't be held in UAE in September as the weather is very hot," the source said.
The hosting rights of the 2023 Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in ODI format, are with the Pakistan Cricket Board but BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the ACC chairman, has made it clear that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan.
(Inputs from PTI)
