By 
ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice are currently in Lahore to secure assurances from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the national team’s participation in the ODI World Cup in India later this year.
The visit follows PCB Chief Najam Sethi’s statement that Pakistan would not travel to India for the World Cup if the Indian team did not visit Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup.
“The ICC and World Cup hosts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are concerned with the hybrid model being pushed by Najam Sethi who heads the cricket management committee of the PCB.
The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are apprehensive about the potential implementation of the hybrid model for both the Asia Cup and the World Cup, should it be accepted for the regional tournament.
If the Pakistani government does not grant clearance or expresses security concerns about sending the team to India, Sethi has suggested asking the ICC to hold Pakistan’s matches at a neutral venue.
Both the ICC and the BCCI are keen to avoid such a situation, as Pakistan’s participation in matches in India is crucial for the success of the Indo-Pakistan encounters and the overall tournament.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah is also hesitant to accept the hybrid model for the Asia Cup, as it would involve holding some matches in Pakistan and the remainder in the UAE or Sri Lanka. Pakistan, as the host of the Asia Cup, has repeatedly stated that it will not participate if the tournament is moved to a neutral country.
Sethi has implied that if Pakistan is not given the opportunity to host some Asia Cup matches, it could impact their participation in the World Cup as well. The ICC officials are acting as mediators between the PCB and the BCCI in an attempt to resolve the outstanding issues related to both the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
“The ICC officials are trying to work as a bridge between the PCB and BCCI and resolve the outstanding issues pertaining to the Asia Cup and World Cup.”
Comments