Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi has said that the board is expected to lose PKR 86 crore approximately (USD 3 million) in revenue if the Asia Cup 2023 does not take place in the country. Sethi said that the hosting rights of the Asia Cup is a "matter of principle" now and PCB is willing to bear the massive loss of revenue if the proposed “hybrid model” is not accepted.
"We have made it very clear that unless the Asia Cup is held on a hybrid model like we have proposed, that is India playing its matches at an offshore venue and Pakistan hosting the remaining games at home we will not accept any other schedule and neither play," he said.
Last year, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Jay Shah had said that India will not travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup. While PCB chief had said that all Asia Cup matches will be played in Pakistan and threatened to pull out of ODI World Cup if India don’t visit, a hybrid model was proposed later on. Under the new model, India will play their matches offshore venue.
"We will not lose our hosting rights," he added.
"Security is no excuse for them now and we have told them if their government is not giving them clearance to play in Pakistan show us some written proof of this," Sethi said.
"When all other teams including Australia, England, New Zealand are playing in Pakistan without any issues there should be no security concerns for India to tour Pakistan."
The PCB chairman pointed out that ACC has generated 80 per cent of its revenues through Pakistan and India matches.
When asked about a possible refusal to play in the World Cup in India later this year, Sethi said that the relations with International Cricket Council (ICC) were different before and if it happens there will be a negative impact on it.
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