Amid the uncertainty about the upcoming Asia Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) wants to ensure Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming ODI World Cup on Indian soil. This was stated in a report published by the Indian news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).
Pakistan will host the next Asia Cup. India is not willing to go to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup due to political reasons. For this reason, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has threatened not to play the next ODI World Cup in India. In this situation, ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardych visited Pakistan to solve the problem.
Barkley and Allardyce’s main aim is to ensure that the PCB is not pressured to implement a hybrid model for their own matches at the ODI World Cup in India later this year. A source told PTI that Barkley and Allardyce have come to Lahore to seek assurance from the PCB regarding the participation of the Pakistan national team in the World Cup in India next October-November.
Babar-Rizwan will not play the World Cup in India if the Rohit Sharma-led team does not visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup, PCB chief Najam Shetty has made it clear. After that, the top officials of ICC came to visit Pakistan.
According to sources, the ICC and the World Cup’s organizing body, the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI), are concerned about the hybrid model of Najam Shetty, head of PCB’s cricket management committee. It is also reported, ‘Before the World Cup, Sethi has suggested a hybrid model for the Asia Cup. If the model is adopted for the regional competition, the PCB will ask the ICC to implement it for the World Cup in India.’
Shetty has already indicated that there are security concerns about sending a Pakistan team to India without permission from the government. In this, Pakistan can ask the ICC to host the matches at neutral venues. Naturally, the ICC and the BCCI do not want such a situation. Because if this is not the case, it will ensure the success of the India-Pakistan match and tournament.’
(03 June/MM)