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Pakistan's Premier Multilingual News Agency

Asia Cup 2023: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to conduct a crucial meeting

Chairman PCB warned that if the hybrid model is rejected, Pakistan will withdraw from the Asia Cup.

Islamabad, 15 May 2023 (GNP): The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to conduct an important meeting this week to hold amicable discussions on a hybrid format for hosting the Asia Cup 2023, as proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Previously, PCB chairman Najam Sethi threatened to withdraw from the Asia Cup 2023 if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) do not approve of the hybrid model.

For this reason, ACC has convened a crucial meeting with all members of the council to examine the hybrid model.

Proposed options 

In the proposed hybrid model, PCB presented two possibilities. The first option states that India’s respective matches will be played at a neutral location, while all other matches would be played in Pakistan, as originally planned.

The second option offers that the first four matches of the tournament’s group stage will be played in Pakistan. Furthermore, the following phase, which includes India’s matches and the finals, would be played at a neutral location.

Also Read: Asia Cup may be shifted to UAE or Qatar: BCCI

The second choice has a higher possibility of being accepted. In such a case, Pakistan will host their group stage encounter against Nepal. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also play pool matches in Pakistan.

Pakistan-India arch rivals

Based on history, Pakistan and India are known as arch-rivals. Fans of cricket on both sides of the border eagerly await their face-off on the cricket pitch.

However, it is regrettable that neither national team has played each other on home soil in any style of the game since 2012.

It is worth noting here that the BCCI already rejected the notion of sending their squad to Pakistan for this year’s Asia Cup. BCCI is insisting that the entire event be conducted at a neutral location.

On the contrary, PCB is adamant about holding the tournament in Pakistan, or at least a portion of it. Otherwise, it would fail all the efforts being made so far to bring international cricket back to the country.

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