Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Management Committee Najam Sethi has confirmed that Pakistan will not play their 2023 World Cup matches in India if BCCI does not allow their team to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup.
Amid the ongoing tussle between the two cricket boards over the hosting of the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan, Sethi stated that PCB had presented a hybrid model keeping in mind India’s reservation over travelling to Pakistan.
However, he said, the same model would also be applied to the World Cup 2023 and Champions Trophy 2025.
“Our government will not allow us to play World Cup in India because their government stopped BCCI to send their team to Pakistan for Asia Cup,” he said in an interview with an Indian sports channel on Thursday.
Sethi revealed that he recently held a few meetings with an ACC representative in Dubai and proposed another hybrid model for the tournament since the earlier model was rejected by India.
“Hybrid model is a compromise but we are ready for it. We have offered to hold Asia Cup in two phases. In the first stage, four teams other than India will come to Pakistan. After that, we all will go to a neutral venue to play the rest of the matches including the final,” he explained.
“If the hybrid model is accepted for Asia Cup, then this will apply to World Cup too. We will play our matches during World Cup in Bangladesh or somewhere else.”
“Also, Champions Trophy 2025 will adopt the same model. It will make things simple for everyone. Meanwhile, if at any stage India agree to come to Pakistan, then we will also go to play World Cup there,” added the PCB head.
Moreover, he also hit out at Sri Lanka and Bangladesh boards for changing their stance on the hybrid model, warning Pakistan will back out of the Asia Cup if the tournament is completely shifted from Pakistan.
“BCCI secretary Jay Shah had asked in ACC meeting in Bahrain whether someone has a problem with touring Pakistan and no one said anything,” Sethi revealed.
“I think Sri Lankan Cricket Board want their country to be a neutral venue and we are ready to discuss it only if they accept the hybrid model” he added.
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