The next 48 hours are crucial for deciding the fate of Asia Cup 2023 as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi arrived in Dubai on Tuesday to conduct talks with officials of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in a bid to resolve the deadlock on the tournament’s venue.
The talks will likely decide the fate of the Asia Cup 2023, which is set to be hosted by Pakistan later this year.
It must be noted that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and is keen to ensure that the event is held at a “neutral” venue.
However, the PCB does not want to host the entire event outside Pakistan since doing so would affect its efforts to bring back international cricket to the country.
The BCCI is also unlikely to accept the hybrid model proposed by the PCB, which would have given India the option to play their matches at “neutral” venue.
Earlier, the chairman of the PCB management committee had called for a rational approach to solve the looming crisis that threatens the successful hosting of the Asia Cup and the country’s participation in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup this year.
Talking to the media on the occasion of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) meeting, Sethi said the chances of the Pakistan team traveling to India for the One Day International (ODI) World Cup are low.
“In case of India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan to compete in the Asia Cup, chances are there that the Pakistan government will not allow the Men in Green to cross the borders for their World Cup participation. In that case, cricket will be the ultimate sufferer,” Sethi said.
“There should be a middle way to solve problems that surely threaten the smooth hosting of ICC and ACC events. In case of India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, the government will not allow us to travel to India to figure in the World Cup matches,” he added.
