Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to convene a meeting this week to deliberate on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) hybrid model for hosting the Asia Cup 2023.
The ACC has responded to PCB management committee chairman Najam Sethi’s warning to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about withdrawing from the tournament if the hybrid model is rejected.
As a result, member boards will gather to assess the feasibility of adopting this innovative approach for the prestigious Asian event.The PCB has presented two options under the hybrid model.
The first option entails India playing their matches at a neutral venue while all other matches take place in Pakistan. The second option involves hosting four group stage matches in Pakistan’s phase one, followed by the second phase in a neutral venue, where Indian matches and subsequent stage matches, including the final, would be held.
Insiders suggest that the meeting is likely to lean towards accepting the second option.
If approved, Pakistan would have the opportunity to play their group match against Nepal on their home ground. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who are grouped together, would also have their group-stage matches scheduled in Pakistan.
It should be noted that the BCCI has firmly declined to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. The board insists on holding the event in a neutral venue, opposing the idea of hosting the entire tournament outside Pakistan.
The PCB, on the other hand, aims to retain hosting rights, as relocating the event would hinder their efforts to bring international cricket back to the country.The intense rivalry between India and Pakistan has not witnessed a meeting on home soil in any cricket format since 2012, with matches between the two nations primarily taking place in neutral territories during multinational tournaments.
Cricket enthusiasts eagerly await the outcome of the ACC meeting as it holds the key to determining the fate of the Asia Cup 2023.