ISLAMABAD 15 June (Online): Asian cricket Council (ACC) on Thursday accepted Pakistan\u2019s hybrid model for Asia Cup, stalemate ended with the decision that India will play its matches in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n
Pakistan has proposed hybrid model solution on the hosting of Asian cricket cup after Board of Control of India Cricket (BCCI) last year refused to tour Pakistan to play the tournament.<\/p>\n
Owing to soured political relations, India and Pakistan have not met on either side\u2019s soil in any version of the game since 2012, or only play each other in international tournaments on neutral grounds.
\nUnder the hybrid model, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suggested that Asia Cup matches involving India could be played at in Sri Lanka, a neutral venue.<\/p>\n
Pakistan had also threatened to boycott the World Cup in India in October-November should they be forced to stage the entire Asia Cup in another country.<\/p>\n
Last month, ACC President and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah had said that the fate of this year\u2019s Asia Cup would be decided on the sidelines of then-under way Indian Premier League, with cricket chiefs from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan attending the IPL final in India\u2019s Ahmedabad and holding a discussion on the matter.<\/p>\n
Eventually, the ACC said in a statement today, \u201cWe are delighted to announce that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held from August 31 to September 17, 2023 and will see the elite teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, compete in a total of 13 exciting ODI (One-Day International) matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka.\u201d
\nAccording to a PCB statement, India will not be playing any of its matches in Pakistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur passionate fans would have loved to see the India cricket team in action in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, but we understand the BCCI\u2019s position. Like the PCB, the BCCI also requires government approval and clearance before crossing borders,\u201d the statement quoted PCB Management Committee Chair Najam Sethi as saying.<\/p>\n
The statement said hosting Asia Cup in the coming months \u201cwill be the first time since 2008 that matches of a multi-nation cricket tournament will be staged in Pakistan\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fifteen years ago, Pakistan had successfully delivered the six-team ACC Asia Cup 50-over tournament, it added.<\/p>\n
According to the statement, Sethi thanked the ACC for accepting the hybrid-model proposal, saying: \u201cI am elated that our hybrid version for the ACC Asia Cup 2023 has been accepted. This means the PCB will remain as the event host and stage matches in Pakistan with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue, which was required due to the Indian cricket team\u2019s inability to travel to Pakistan.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that in the given scenario, the hybrid model was the \u201cbest solution and that\u2019s precisely why I advocated for it so strongly\u201d.
\n\u201cThe acceptance of the hybrid model means the event will take place as originally planned, the ACC will stay together and united, and the great game of cricket will continue to thrive and move forward in what will be interesting and exciting times for the subcontinent cricket fans in the coming 20 months,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He went on to say that in the past 15 months, the PCB had delivered high-profile bilateral series as well as two immensely successful HBL Pakistan Super League events in which some of the world\u2019s leading cricketers participated and \u201cenjoyed Pakistan\u2019s outstanding arrangements and unprecedented hospitality\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look forward to providing a similar experience to the participating sides in the ACC Asia Cup, which will be a prelude to the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan in February\/March 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cI now look forward to continuing our discussions and deliberations with the ACC and Sri Lanka Cricket to iron out a few minor operational and logistical details so that we can launch our event planning and preparations,\u201d Sethi said.<\/p>\n
He also assured that the PCB, as the event\u2019s host, \u201cwill not leave any stone unturned in the successful delivery of the event that is so very critical to the sides featuring in the ICC Men\u2019s Cricket World Cup 2023 in October\/November in India\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI appreciate the efforts of ACC President Jay Shah to strengthen the council so that we can collectively continue to protect each other\u2019s interests and also provide opportunities and platforms to emerging Asian nations,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD 15 June (Online): Asian cricket Council (ACC) on Thursday accepted Pakistan\u2019s hybrid model for Asia Cup, stalemate ended with the decision that India will play its matches in Sri Lanka. Pakistan has proposed hybrid model solution on the hosting of Asian cricket cup after […]<\/p>\n
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