LAHORE: Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Najam Sethi has decided to consult the federal government before going into the all-important ICC and ACC meetings next month.
The meetings will determine the fate of Pakistan’s hosting of the 2023 Men’s Asia Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.
PCB interim head on Tuesday said he would approach the government and take their perspective on the issue before attending the crucial board meetings of the International Cricket Council and Asian Cricket Council in March.
“Their (government’s) perspective is very important as the issues are directly linked to our national security,” said Sethi while talking to the media in Lahore during an exhibition cricket match between SJAL and UK media.
However, he remained tight-lipped on how he would present his case in front of the two councils, saying the negotiation strategies cannot be discussed in public and such issues can only be resolved through dialogues.
The uncertainty around the 2023 Asia Cup began in October last year when the ACC president, and BCCI secretary, Jay Shah refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan and has since been trying to shift the tournament to a neutral venue.
An emergency meeting of the ACC was held in this regard in Bahrain earlier this month but failed to reach a breakthrough.
“The ACC had a constructive dialogue on the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The Board agreed to continue discussions on operations, timelines and any other specifics with a view to ensure the success of the tournament. An update on the matter would be taken on the next ACC Executive Board meeting to be held in March 2023,” ACC had said in a statement following the meeting.
Pakistan took a firm stance in that meeting with respect to its hosting right of Asia Cup 2023 while the Indian board was insistent on shifting the venue to UAE.
The deadlock will be revisited in March when the ICC and ACC meetings take place one after the other.
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