PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the ACC, with Sri Lanka being the neutral venue for India’s matches.
Reports indicate that an official announcement is likely after the weekend.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed a hybrid model for co-hosting the 2023 Asia Cup, which is expected to receive approval from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), reported Press Trust of India (PTI) on Saturday.
According to the proposed model, the initial four matches of the group stage in the primary phase of the tournament will be played in Pakistan. The subsequent phase, including matches involving India and the finals, will take place at a neutral venue, likely to be Sri Lanka.
Under this arrangement, Pakistan will play their group stage match against Nepal on their home ground. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also play their pool matches in Pakistan.
The likely approval represents a significant breakthrough in an impasse which has not only dragged on for some time but has also threatened fallout for ICC events, most pressingly the World Cup in India this year but also the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. There is a possibility now that an agreement here could ease Pakistan’s path to traveling to India for the World Cup.
The hybrid model was proposed as a solution due to India and Pakistan unwilling to travel to the other’s country. India’s refusal to tour Pakistan prompted Pakistan to go with this model in order to retain the hosting rights.
Pakistan initially offered UAE as a second venue citing the lucrative opportunity for gate receipts during Pakistan-India matches in the tournament, but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather in the middle east in September.
The ACC is expected to make a formal announcement on Tuesday, and once the hybrid model is officially accepted, it will pave the way for the Pakistan team’s travel to India for the ODI World Cup scheduled in October-November.
“Oman Cricket board chief Pankaj Khimji, one of the respected ACC executive board members, was entrusted to find a solution as most countries didn’t want a hybrid model. But as of now four non-India games — Pakistan versus Nepal, Bangladesh versus Afghanistan, Afghanistan versus Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh — will be held at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore,” an ACC board member was quoted as saying by PTI.
“The two India versus Pakistan games and all other Super four games will be held in either Pallekele or Galle,” the board member added.
Initially, Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and ACC chairman, had firmly stated that they would not accept the PCB’s suggested hybrid model. Shah recently discussed the matter with the heads of member nations and proposed that the tournament should take place at a single venue, specifically Sri Lanka. However, there appears to be a U-turn from the BCCI, as they are now reportedly willing to accept the hybrid model, according to the PTI report.
PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi, had previously threatened to boycott the Asia Cup and subsequently the ODI World Cup in India later this year if their hybrid model was not accepted. To address PCB’s concerns, Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice of the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently visited Lahore and held meetings with PCB officials to obtain a guarantee that the Pakistan team would travel to India for the 2023 World Cup.
India and Pakistan have been grouped together along with Nepal in the six-nation Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the 50-over format as preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group.
A total of 13 matches, including the final, are expected be played across 13 days. Like the format from 2022, it is expected that the top two teams from each group will advance to a Super 4s round, before the top two teams from that contest the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan playing each other three times, should they make the final.
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PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup is likely to be approved by the ACC, with Sri Lanka being the neutral venue for India’s matches.
Reports indicate that an official announcement is likely after the weekend.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed a hybrid model for co-hosting the 2023 Asia Cup, which is expected to receive approval from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), reported Press Trust of India (PTI) on Saturday.
According to the proposed model, the initial four matches of the group stage in the primary phase of the tournament will be played in Pakistan. The subsequent phase, including matches involving India and the finals, will take place at a neutral venue, likely to be Sri Lanka.
Under this arrangement, Pakistan will play their group stage match against Nepal on their home ground. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also play their pool matches in Pakistan.
The likely approval represents a significant breakthrough in an impasse which has not only dragged on for some time but has also threatened fallout for ICC events, most pressingly the World Cup in India this year but also the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. There is a possibility now that an agreement here could ease Pakistan’s path to traveling to India for the World Cup.
The hybrid model was proposed as a solution due to India and Pakistan unwilling to travel to the other’s country. India’s refusal to tour Pakistan prompted Pakistan to go with this model in order to retain the hosting rights.
Pakistan initially offered UAE as a second venue citing the lucrative opportunity for gate receipts during Pakistan-India matches in the tournament, but Bangladesh raised concerns over the extreme weather in the middle east in September.
The ACC is expected to make a formal announcement on Tuesday, and once the hybrid model is officially accepted, it will pave the way for the Pakistan team’s travel to India for the ODI World Cup scheduled in October-November.
“Oman Cricket board chief Pankaj Khimji, one of the respected ACC executive board members, was entrusted to find a solution as most countries didn’t want a hybrid model. But as of now four non-India games — Pakistan versus Nepal, Bangladesh versus Afghanistan, Afghanistan versus Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka versus Bangladesh — will be held at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore,” an ACC board member was quoted as saying by PTI.
“The two India versus Pakistan games and all other Super four games will be held in either Pallekele or Galle,” the board member added.
Initially, Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and ACC chairman, had firmly stated that they would not accept the PCB’s suggested hybrid model. Shah recently discussed the matter with the heads of member nations and proposed that the tournament should take place at a single venue, specifically Sri Lanka. However, there appears to be a U-turn from the BCCI, as they are now reportedly willing to accept the hybrid model, according to the PTI report.
PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi, had previously threatened to boycott the Asia Cup and subsequently the ODI World Cup in India later this year if their hybrid model was not accepted. To address PCB’s concerns, Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice of the International Cricket Council (ICC) recently visited Lahore and held meetings with PCB officials to obtain a guarantee that the Pakistan team would travel to India for the 2023 World Cup.
India and Pakistan have been grouped together along with Nepal in the six-nation Asia Cup, scheduled to be held in the 50-over format as preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group.
A total of 13 matches, including the final, are expected be played across 13 days. Like the format from 2022, it is expected that the top two teams from each group will advance to a Super 4s round, before the top two teams from that contest the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan playing each other three times, should they make the final.
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