Pakistan Cricket Board has released a statement and denied the reports of Pakistan team considering playing its ODI World Cup matches in Bangladesh instead of India. The cricket board stated that no conversation took place regarding the World Cup in the ICC meeting. PCB chairman Najam Sethi didn’t give any reference or made any remark on the mega ICC event as the primary topic of discussion was Asia Cup
The PCB clarified that the concept of a “hybrid model" of tournament was strictly pertaining to Asia Cup since India will not travel to Pakistan.
“Referring to the media talk in Rawalpindi/Islamabad on Thursday, Mr Najam Sethi said he had briefed the media on the hybrid model he had presented to the ACC officials for the ACC Asia Cup to end the impasse that had been created following the BCCI’s decision to not send its team to Pakistan.
“This proposal - to play India’s matches at a neutral venue and the rest in Pakistan - is under discussions within the ACC," a PCB media release stated.
BCCI secretary and ACC chairman Jay Shah said last year that India won’t travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023 which started a tussle between the PCB and BCCI. However, with the hybrid model things might work in the right direction for both boards as PCB will retain its hosting rights and majority of matches will be played in Pakistan while India will play their games at a neutral venue.
Sethi said that he was misquoted by a section of the media.
“At no stage during Thursday’s media interaction, did I give any reference to the ICC or made any remarks on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled in October. This matter has not been mooted or discussed at any ICC forum so far," Sethi said in the press release.
The PCB through media release gave a rejoinder to one of its local english outlets. It clarified that currently, the PCB is discussing with the Asian Cricket Council only regarding Asia Cup 2023.
“In this background, the PCB is disappointed that a leading English language newspaper has misquoted, misinterpreted and misrepresented Mr Sethi’s comments and gave the impression that PCB’s hybrid model was presented and discussed at the ICC, which is factually incorrect.
“At this stage, the PCB is only in discussions with the ACC over the hosting of the ACC Asia Cup and no discussions regarding the World Cup have taken place with the ICC."
However, to pacify the country’s media after a massive face loss, PCB in its press release did mention that the concept of ‘hybrid model’ could be discussed later but even the bigwigs know that any such recommendation will be rejected at the onset.
“This is not to say that the hybrid model will not be advocated at the proper ICC forum at the right time," it stated in the end.
It must be mentioned that there is very little chance that ACC will pass the budget of Pakistan playing its Asia Cup matches at home instead of UAE or Qatar.
The only possibility will be that PCB will have to bear the entire costs, including logistics of the broadcasters in order to host matches in their country.
(With PTI Inputs)
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