This year, the ODI World Cup is scheduled to begin on October 5, with the final scheduled for November 19. The tournament is being held in India, but Pakistan’s world cup matches will be played in Bangladesh, rather than India. This follows the ICC meetings last week, during which the hybrid Asia Cup model was discussed as a potential solution.
The idea came up during board meetings in Dubai for Pakistan’s world cup matches, where India’s and Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup (hosted by India) and World Cup (hosted by India) were discussed. However, the venues were only discussed as an option, and no official announcement has been made regarding them.
Pakistan’s World Cup Matches – ESPN’s Point of View
ESPNcricinfo wrote, “The Asian Cricket Council agreed in principle to look at a hybrid model that will allow the tournament to take place in Pakistan but for India’s matches to be played at a neutral venue that has yet to be finalized.” This is according to the report. The United Arab Emirates, Oman, Sri Lanka, and even England are options. The neutral location will be used for the India-Pakistan games and the final if India makes it there. In subsequent informal discussions, the PCB made the proposal that could also be applied to the World Cup, where Pakistan’s world cup matches will be played at a neutral venue.
The Asia Cup was supposed to take place in September of this year, but in October of 2022, BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the chairman of the ACC, said that India would not go to Pakistan. The topic of the Asia Cup 2023’s location was discussed during the first official meeting between PCB chairman Najam Sethi and BCCI secretary Jay Shah on February 4 in Bahrain, but the final decision was not made.
Najam Sethi’s Remarks
Sethi inquired about India’s concerns regarding Pakistan’s security given the large number of teams traveling there.
“I have kept my options open because there are no security concerns for any of the teams that are traveling to Pakistan. So, why is India concerned about safety? Similarly, we can likewise have security worries over sending our group to India for the World Cup and I will offer this that would be useful at the approaching gatherings,” Najam Sethi said in a question and answer session
“We don’t uphold India’s position since we need to hold the Asia Cup and recollect it isn’t just about the Asia Cup and World Cup it is likewise about the Heroes Prize in 2025 in Pakistan.
“The situation is that we must follow what our patron-in-chief tells us to do. I had sought advice from the government. What can we do if he tells us to play in the World Cup even if India doesn’t come to the Asia Cup? It would be the same for us if he said don’t go,” he added.
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