Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is most likely to call a meeting this week to discuss on Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)-proposed hybrid model for hosting Asia Cup 2023, Geo News reported citing sources.
After PCB management committee chairman, Najam Sethi warned the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of walking out from the Asia Cup in case of hybrid model's rejection, ACC has now decided to call member boards to discuss the possibility of adopting hybrid model for the Asian event.
PCB has offered two options in the hybrid model. In first option, India will play their matches at a neutral venue whereas all other matches will be played in Pakistan. In another option, four matches of the group stage in the first phase will take place in Pakistan whereas second phase, in which matches of Indian team followed by the next stage matches including the final, will be played at a neutral venue.
According to the sources, second option is most likely to be accepted in the meeting. In case of its acceptance, Pakistan will play their group match against Nepal at home. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who are placed in group 2, will also play their group-stage matches in Pakistan.
It must be noted that BCCI has refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is set to take place in Pakistan in September this year, and is keen on ensuring that the event is held at a neutral venue. However, the PCB is not interested in hosting the complete event outside Pakistan since it would affect its efforts with regards to the return of international cricket in the country.
Despite being considered one of sport's greatest rivalries, India and Pakistan have not met on home soil in any version of the game since 2012, and only play each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.
Atique ur Rehman Atique ur Rehman is a senior reporter for Geo News.