11th June 2023, Mumbai: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is set to approve the proposed hybrid model by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the Asia Cup 2023. The model suggests Sri Lanka as the neutral venue where India can play their matches. As per the plan, four to five out of the 13 tournament games will be held in Pakistan, while all India-Pakistan matches, as well as the final (if India qualifies), will be played in Sri Lanka.
The scheduled window for the Asia Cup 2023 is September 1-17, with Lahore likely to host the matches in Pakistan. The original plan was to hold the tournament in Pakistan, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary, Jay Shah, who is also the president of ACC, had stated that the Indian team would not travel to Pakistan due to political tensions. The BCCI demanded the event be moved to a neutral venue.
In response to the BCCI’s decision, the PCB threatened to boycott the ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India in October-November. Considering the reluctance of both India and Pakistan to travel to each other’s countries, a hybrid model emerged as a viable solution, ensuring PCB retains the hosting rights for the tournament.
PCB Chairman Najam Sethi presented the details of the hybrid model to Pankaj Khimji, head of Oman Cricket and ACC’s vice-president, during a meeting in Dubai a few weeks ago. The approval of the hybrid model could pave the way for an agreement that eases Pakistan’s travel to India for the ICC World Cup.
The Asia Cup 2023 will feature India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The tournament serves as preparation for the upcoming ODI World Cup. The teams are divided into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the Super Four stage. From there, the top two teams will compete in the final to determine the champion.
It is worth noting that India and Pakistan have not played bilateral cricket since 2013 due to strained political tensions. They only meet in global tournaments or multi-team events. The most recent encounter between the two teams took place at the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.Overall, the proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup 2023 offers a compromise solution to the India-Pakistan cricketing rivalry while ensuring the smooth conduct of the tournament and retaining Pakistan’s hosting rights. The approval of this model by the ACC marks a significant step towards promoting cricket in the region and fostering a conducive atmosphere for sporting exchanges between the two nations.
Article by PRITESH PATEL