As authorities continue to struggle to reach a consensus on the venue of the Asia Cup 2023, it has been learnt that the final decision could take place on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League (IPL) final on May 28.

According to Indian media, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup and is keen on ensuring that the event is held at a neutral venue.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not interested in hosting the event outside Pakistan since it would affect its efforts with regard to the return of international cricket in the country.

“The respective presidents of the Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka cricket boards will grace the IPL 2023 final to be held on May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. We will hold discussions with them for outlining the future course of action in relation to Asia Cup 2023,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the president of the Asian Cricket Council, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The BCCI also wants the entire tournament to take place in Sri Lanka instead of agreeing to PCB’s hybrid model.

Earlier, The News reported that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has given the green signal to Najam Sethi’s hybrid model for this year’s Asia Cup.

According to the hybrid model presented to the ACC by Najam Sethi following the early stalemate, Pakistan will host four to six matches of the Asia Cup. At the same time, India will play its matches on a neutral venue that also hosts other matches.

A source in the ACC has confirmed to The News from India that the Asian body has accepted the hybrid model proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Sethi in principle and without putting any extra conditions.

There was no condition set on Pakistan’s participation in the October World Cup to be held in India, which still depends on the Pakistan government’s approval.

“The ACC has accepted Najam’s Sethi hybrid model proposal to host the Asia Cup allotted to Pakistan. According to this hybrid model, Pakistan will host four to six matches at the venue (within Pakistan) to be decided later while India will play its matches on a neutral venue,” the source said.

“The ACC is expected to officially announce the decision within the next few weeks. According to Sethi’s model, India’s matches will be played on a neutral venue which will be decided by the ACC member countries with mutual coordination. However, even in deciding on a neutral venue, the financial aspect will be kept at the top.

“Say, India or other ACC member countries want Sri Lanka as a neutral venue, Pakistan as a host country will have the right to get a proper return of Pakistan-India matches (two or three). These must not be less than what India Board has earned by hosting the 2022 Asia Cup matches between the two countries. The amount is estimated as over half a million dollars from the two countries’ matches.

“If the ACC assures that amount, the PCB will have no hesitation even to agree with Sri Lanka as a neutral venue for the rest of the matches.”

As the World Cup inches closer, there are many questions and uncertainties arising about Pakistan’s participation in the mega event as it is scheduled to take place in India. 

The Indian cricket board had refused to send its team to Pakistan and hence, the Green Shirts might not travel to its neighbouring country for participating in the mega event as well. 

However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is most likely to get permission from its government to participate in World Cup in India in light of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement during his visit to Goa, sources told GeoSuper.tv.

“Sports should be kept separated from politics and foreign policy,” the FM had stated during his visit to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.

Earlier, several reports claimed that Pakistan will play against India in World Cup at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

“Pakistan may not agree to play against India at Narendra Modi Stadium due to certain reasons,” a source said, without discussing further details on this matter before the announcement of the official schedule.

It must be noted here that International Cricket Council (ICC) hasn’t announced the schedule for the World Cup so far. The mega event will take place in October-November this year in India.

A reliable source in PCB has also denied reports regarding their demand from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give them a guarantee in writing that if Pakistan goes to India for ICC World Cup, then they will come here for ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. 

• Babar’s remarks comes amid doubts over Pakistan’s particpation in World Cup.
• “We can’t say anything about that, but wherever we get a chance to play, we will play,” he says.
• Pakistan beat a depleted New Zealand 4-1 in the five-match series.

KARACHI: Skipper Babar Azam assured the cricket fans that the “dominant” one-day series win over New Zealand has set Pakistan up nicely for the World Cup.

Babar’s remarks comes amid doubts over Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in October-November because of tensions with hosts India.

Despite the looming uncertainty and defeat in the final match on Sunday, Babar was in buoyant mood.

A day earlier, Pakistan beat a depleted New Zealand 4-1 in the five-match series and on their way briefly reached the top of the one-day rankings for the first time.

Pakistan scored 337 in the second match — their second-highest successful chase in one-day internationals — and Babar became the fastest player to 5,000 ODI runs en route to his 18th century in the format.

Opener Fakhar Zaman meanwhile achieved the distinction of hitting hundreds in three successive ODIs, firmly establishing his place in Pakistan’s top three, which also includes opener Imam-ul-Haq.

“Winning the series is great and so is achieving number one ranking that has set us in a good position for the World Cup,” said the skipper.

Asked if the uncertainty over participation was worrying for the Pakistan team, Babar said: “We can’t say anything about that, but wherever we get a chance to play, we will play.”

The stand-off started last year when India announced it would not send a team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, a month before the World Cup.

In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has threatened to pull out of the World Cup.

There are signs of a thaw, however. Last week Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited India to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Goa — the first visit by a senior Pakistani official in years.

No easy win

Babar refused to accept that in missing eight of their top players — mostly due to Indian Premier League duty — New Zealand were easy to beat.

“You don’t play an international team thinking that they are a junior team,” said Babar.

“You have to give 100% to win against an international team, so we played better and dominated.”

Pakistan won the first two matches by five and seven wickets in Rawalpindi before clinching the next two by 26 and 102 runs in Karachi.

New Zealand took the final game by 47 runs, also in Karachi.

Stand-in New Zealand skipper Tom Latham said the series was useful despite the results.

“We wanted to expose players to different roles and I think it was a great opportunity for all of them to experience these conditions,” he said.

New Zealand are sweating on the fitness of regular skipper Kane Williamson, who injured his knee during the IPL and looks likely to miss the World Cup.

New Zealand were runners-up in the last two World Cups, in 2015 and 2019.