According to PCB president Najam Sethi, India has proposed playing its Asia Cup games at a neutral site while Pakistan and the other contending teams play in the host nation.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore is Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s management committee. (AP)
The Asian Cricket Council, according to Sethi, has received a proposal (ACC).
Due to political difficulties between the two nations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had urged that the continental competition be moved to a venue that was neutral.
‘We have agreed on this hybrid model that Pakistan will play their Asia Cup matches at home and India at neutral grounds, and that is what we recommend to the Asian Cricket Council,’ said Sethi, a former cricketer who is now the chairman of the PCB. During the press conference, Rameez Raja.
The six-team Asia Cup will be played from September 2 to September 17, however the specific match schedule has not yet been released owing to venue concerns.
The other contending nations, in addition to Pakistan and India, are Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and a team that will win the ACC Qualifiers.
In Nepal, the qualifying round is now in progress.
Sethi expressed the expectation that the upcoming month’s trip of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the foreign minister of his nation, to the Indian coastal city of Goa for the SCO Council meeting will strengthen ties between the two nations.
“According to what has been said, the snow may keep melting. India will think about playing in Pakistan if this occurs when the Champions Trophy is hosted by Pakistan in 2025. We have been instructed to travel to India for the World Cup and to play the Asia Cup at a neutral site, Sethi said, declining to identify the source of the advice.
According to Sethi, Pakistan and India should play cricket on an equal footing in his nation.
“There are no limitations on playing against India that our administration has put in place. Yet, I can already state that the general population is in a positive frame of mind, that we are not financially dependent on anyone, and that we support India. Cricket is a game we wish to play with class. ACC discussions are also ongoing with us “said Sethi.
However, the PCB chairman did not identify the government official providing the PCB with advice on the matter.
If Pakistan chooses to move all of India’s Asia Cup games to neutral sites, according to Sethi, the neighbours should also try the same hybrid strategy for the 50-over World Cup in October and November of this year.
There have been rumours from across the border that Pakistan’s matches will be moved to neutral grounds while India is holding the World Cup.
We believe that this hybrid experiment can be put into practise even when the World Cup is approaching, according to Sethi.
He stated: “We believe that everything should be mutually beneficial. There have always been security concerns in Pakistan. What justification does India have for not playing in Pakistan now that the issue has been resolved?”
The PCB has not received a response from the ACC, which is led by Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, about the suggested hybrid approach. Despite the fact that Pakistan will continue to host the competition, reports claim that other ACC members also favour moving the Asia Cup to a neutral location.
This story’s text was published exactly as it appeared in a wire service feed.