The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is trying to persuade the Asian Cricket Council to allow Pakistan to host the four matches of the first round or else they will be left with no option but to pull out from the continental body. Subsequently, PCB chairman Najam Sethi’s ‘hybrid model’ of Pakistan playing their home games in their country apart from matches in India, has been rejected by other member nations.
A reliable source in the cricket board said, “Yes, as part of Plan B of the hybrid model we have proposed for the Asia Cup, Najam Sethi has informed the ACC in Dubai this week that the PCB will host four matches at home.” Will be satisfied.” Said.
According to the source, Sethi has proposed Pakistan vs Nepal match and Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh matches in Pakistan. He had also told the ACC in Dubai that if this plan B of PCB was also rejected by the ACC members, then Pakistan would neither play in the Asia Cup nor withdraw from the Asian Cricket Council.
The source also said that Sethi had told ACC officials that the PCB would be happy to play most of its remaining matches in Dubai and that most of the matches in the tournament, including the final, could be held in Dubai.
“One of the challenges we now face as the ACC and as the hosts is that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India are insisting that the event should not be held in the UAE in September as the weather is too hot,” the source said. Is.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has the hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup in ODI format but BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the president of the ACC, has made it clear that the Indian cricket team will not travel to Pakistan.
(Inputs from PTI)