Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
HomePakistanSetback to India: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh support Pakistan’s hybrid proposal on Asia...

Setback to India: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh support Pakistan’s hybrid proposal on Asia Cup 2023

India suffers a setback when Sri Lanka and Bangladesh embrace Pakistan’s hybrid bid for the 2023 Asia Cup

Pakistan is facing a dilemma regarding the Asia Cup 2023, as India has expressed safety concerns and refused to play in Pakistan. The bilateral cricket between India and Pakistan has been affected by political tensions for over a decade, and they only play each other in multi-team events at neutral venues. However, Pakistan has come up with a hybrid model to address Indian concerns, which has received support from crucial members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

image 103

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been making extensive efforts to convince all the ACC members to agree to its proposal. The PCB has offered to allow India to play their matches in the United Arab Emirates, and it has presented two options in the hybrid model. The first option is for India to play its matches at a neutral venue, while all other matches will be played in Pakistan. The second option is for four matches of the group stage in the first phase to occur in Pakistan, while the second phase, featuring the Indian team matches, followed by the next stage matches, including the final, will be played at a neutral venue.

According to sources, the cricket boards of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed on the second option, which will allow Pakistan to host four matches before the league moves to a neutral venue, which will be decided mutually. The group match between Pakistan and Nepal will take place in Pakistan, along with the group-stage matches of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who are placed in group 2. While the PCB desires the UAE to be the neutral venue to secure the gate revenue, there are also two alternative options in Sri Lanka, namely Dambulla and Pallekele, which can be considered as neutral venues.

image 102

ACC President Jay Shah, who is also the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is set to assess the proposal in an official meeting in Dubai within two days. Shah has called an official meeting with ACC board members to discuss the PCB’s hybrid model to host Asia Cup. An official meeting of the council is likely to be called by the end of this month to decide the future of the Asian event after this unofficial huddle.

To read more: After release by IHC, Fawad Chaudhry sprints back inside court to avoid re-arrest

Pakistan has been trying to bring back international cricket to their home grounds, and hosting the Asia Cup will be a significant milestone for them. The ACC members’ support for Pakistan’s proposal is an encouraging sign, and it shows that efforts are being made to bridge the gap between the cricket boards of India and Pakistan. The ACC’s decision will also be crucial for the future of cricket in the region, as the Asia Cup is an essential tournament that brings together the best teams from Asia.

The hybrid model presented by Pakistan to address Indian concerns for the Asia Cup 2023 has received support from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The proposal will be assessed in an official meeting in Dubai, and the future of the Asian event will be decided by the end of this month. The ACC members’ support for Pakistan’s proposal is a positive sign, and it shows that efforts are being made to bring international cricket back to Pakistan. The ACC’s decision will also be crucial for the future of cricket in the region, as the Asia Cup is an essential tournament that brings together the best teams from Asia.

spot_img

More articles

spot_img

Latest article