In a major development, BCCI approves the hybrid model for Asia Cup 2023, and fellow ACC members, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan support the positive initiative. An Asia Cup without the Green Shirts looked to be on the cards. The failure to get fellow ACC members on board would have been a major diplomatic failure for the PCB, as the BCCI (Board of Cricket Control in India) had declined to play in Pakistan, citing major security concerns but on the 10th of June, the BCCI approved the hybrid model and ending the long drawn escalation between the two boards.
Initial Asia Cup schedule and the tussle with the BCCI.
Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in September of this year in a bid to complete the revival of international cricket after the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore. It will be the first major international event after the PCB successfully hosted all major international test-playing nations for the World Test Championship and the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.
The problems started soon after the BCCI secretary and ACC president, Jay Shah, announced their stance against travelling to Pakistan, citing the denial of permission from their government amid security issues and threats and adding that the tournament would be held at a neutral venue.
The statement was not well received by the cricketing community in Pakistan and received a backlash from the PCB’s top brass. The then PCB chairman and former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja threatened to boycott the” 50 over” cricket World Cup going to be held in India next year.
Also read: Will the Asia Cup be replaced by the Five Nation Cricket Tournament?
BCCI approves the hybrid model and why it is a bid to garner support and the fallout.
PCB, in a bid to apply rationale and calm things down, suggested a hybrid model under which the Indian cricket team would travel to a neutral venue, most probably the UAE or Sri Lanka, while the other teams would have played in Pakistan.
To even things out and counter the BCCI, Sethi suggested the hybrid model for the World Cup as well:
“Our stance is that everything should be on a reciprocal basis. In the old days, yes, there were security issues in Pakistan. But now there are no issues, so what is India’s excuse for not playing in Pakistan?”
The PCB chair met the ACC members in Dubai in a bid to garner support and subsequently resulting in a scenario where the BCCI approves the hybrid model. The ACB (Afghanistan Cricket Board) initially maintained a stance of neutrality, adding that they were only interested in the tournament being played in fair and safe conditions.
The BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) and SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) initially showed flexibility regarding the destination of the Asia Cup, and pointing it out, the PCB official hinted at a digital confirmation on the part of the BCB and SLC having no issues playing in Pakistan.
This was later snubbed by the ACC members on the grounds of having reservations on logistical grounds. Both cricket boards pointed out the scorching weather conditions that the UAE would have in September. The other major concern was pointed out by media houses: it is not possible to send two separate media teams to cover the Asia Cup.
According to an ACC source,
“Najam Sethi (PCB chairman) was in Dubai today to procure support, but to his horror, there were no takers for his proposal of Pakistan playing its games in Karachi or Lahore and India playing in the UAE. Sri Lanka was always with the BCCI, and now even the Bangladesh Cricket Board seems to oppose the idea.”
Good news and breaking of the ice.
The road for the PCB looked bumpy and grim, and the chances of the Green Shirts participating in the tournament were bleak. Asia Cup 2023 without Pakistan would not only have meant a compromise on the quality of cricket but would have caused mega financial losses to the broadcasting houses, as India-Pakistan clashes are usually the most important features of the tournament.
As the PCB is also scheduled to attend the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, the PCB chair has hinted at boycotting the mega cricketing event, saying “there is a distinct possibility” that the government of Pakistan won’t grant permission to travel to India.
The ICC chairman, Grey Barcley and CEO, Geoff Allardice, visited Pakistan to break the deadlock and discuss the participation of the PCT (Pakistan Cricket Team), which was the main agenda. The visit initially didn’t bear any fruit, and the situation has deteriorated since ACC members have snubbed the hybrid model falling in line with the BCCI’s rhetoric.
With both BCCI and PCB at loggerheads, it would have been a debacle of great magnitude for the ICC. This cataclysmic event was averted soon after the news broke that BCCI approves the hybrid model for Asia Cup 2023 in which the first 4 matches will be played in Pakistan and 9 matches shall be played at a neutral venue in Sri Lanka.
The mega clash between India and Pakistan will be played in Sri Lanka too.
There are reports that the BCCI has also asked PCB for a written guarantee to travel to India for the CWC later this year. According to the sources, “Pakistan cricket team will travel to India and take part in the Cricket World Cup later this year. ”
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