With Pakistan Cricket Board receiving support from other nations in Asian Cricket Council (ACC), BCCI has softened its stand in moving the Asia Cup 2023 out of Pakistan and is ready to accept the hybrid with a condition. According to reports, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal have agreed to Pakistan’s hybrid model, which leaves India to decide in favour of their arch-rivals.
However, BCCI has come up with a new condition that they want a written assurance from the PCB on visiting India for the World Cup 2023 in October as Pakistan hit back, threatening to pull back from the World Cup if the Asia Cup is moved out of the country. The important decision regarding the host of Asia Cup 2023 would get a clear picture after BCCI’s SGM on May 27
As of now, all the bilateral relations between India and Pakistan are suspended due to political and security reasons. The arch-rivals do not play any bilateral series against each other and only take on each other during ICC events or Asia Cup.
Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi said that the Indian team’s refusal to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023 would impact the forthcoming ICC tournaments hosted by the two neighbouring nations in the future, as Pakistan is also slated to host the comeback tournament Champions Trophy in 2025.
Najam Sethi said that if India wishes they can accept the hybrid model, where both teams can play their ICC games in different countries going forward, and said that Men in Green can play the 2023 ODI World Cup games in Bangladesh or other neutral venues and similarly India can play the 2025 Champions trophy in other neutral venues.
The six-nation Asia Cup, which will be played in a 50-over format and is likely to be played in the first part of September 2023, has grouped India and Pakistan with a qualifier. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are included in the other group. The final will be one of a total of 13 games that are played over 13 days.