The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been in talks with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) about a suitable model for the Asia Cup, which will be held in Pakistan this year.
Following the BCCI’s confirmation of its reluctance to send the Indian team to Pakistan for the continental event, the media has speculated on a “hybrid model.” The PCB confirmed in a statement on Friday that the ‘hybrid model’ is currently being discussed, but no plans have been made to replicate the same model in the World Cup, which will be held in India later this year.
Earlier, some reports quoted ICC General Manager Wasim Khan as saying Pakistan is considering “not playing their World Cup matches in India” because the BCCI is not sending a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. The Pakistani board, on the other hand, has falsified the claims.”
This proposal – to play India’s matches at a neutral venue and the rest in Pakistan – is under discussion within the ACC,” the PCB said in a statement.”
At no point during Thursday’s media interaction did I mention the ICC or make any comments about the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled for October.” So far, no ICC forum has raised or discussed this issue.”
Against this backdrop, the PCB is disappointed that a leading English language newspaper misquoted, misinterpreted, and misrepresented Mr Sethi’s comments, giving the impression that the PCB’s hybrid model was presented and discussed at the ICC, which is false.” At this time, the PCB is only in talks with the ACC about hosting the ACC Asia Cup, and no talks have taken place with the ICC about hosting the World Cup.
“This is not to say that the hybrid model will not be championed at the appropriate ICC forum at the appropriate time.”
Toward the end of the statement, the PCB did confirm that, while no ‘hybrid model’ has been discussed regarding the ODI World Cup in India at this time, it may be brought up at a later date.
