In a massive body blow to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), reports from the Pakistan media have emerged that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be conducting a five-nation tournament after news emerged that the deadlock between the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) and the PCB might lead to the scraping of the much-contested Asia Cup, which is slated to be held in September.
Pakistan were chosen as the host of the Asia Cup but Team India have stuck to their guns about not sending a team to Pakistan for the event due to the political tensions between the two countries.
The initial plans were that of a hybrid model for the upcoming edition of the tournament, but the idea of the same was quashed by their new president Najam Sethi.
“This proposal - to play India’s matches at a neutral venue and the rest in Pakistan - is under discussions within the ACC. At no stage during Thursday’s media interaction, did I give any reference to the ICC or made any remarks on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled in October. This matter has not been mooted or discussed at any ICC forum so far," the PCB chief said.
Two weeks ago, ACC Secretary Jay Shah said that the council is waiting for input from other participating countries in order to finalize the venue for Asia Cup. “We are awaiting feedback from other nations to finalise the venue for the 2023 Asia Cup and clarity on the India-Pakistan match," Shah said during a media interaction.
A number of other Asian powerhouses in the sport have expressed their interest in hosting the tournament, like Sri Lanka, UAE and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, the BCCI have begun preparations for a five-nation tournament, which could be held during the window vacated by the cancellation of the Asia Cup.
Sethi was supposed to go to UAE for some important meetings next week, but he cancelled the trip due to personal reasons. According to sources, a big decision regarding the Asia Cup can be expected in a few days.
PCB is also concerned about public reaction over the complete transfer of the event to the UAE. The suggestion of hosting the event in another country has already been rejected. If the Asia Cup does not take place this year, it may also affect Pakistan's preparations for the 2023 World Cup in India.
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