Pakistan Cricket Board bats for India’s Asia Cup matches at neutral venue

Karachi, April 21

Asia Cup hosts Pakistan have proposed that India can play their matches at a neutral venue while the other competing teams play in the host country, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi said.

Sethi said they have sent a proposal to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to travel to Pakistan due to political tension between the two nations and demanded that the continental tournament be shifted to a neutral venue.

“We have decided on this hybrid model that Pakistan play their Asia Cup matches at home and India their matches at a neutral venue and that is our proposal to the Asian Cricket Council,” said Sethi, who took over as the PCB chairman from former cricketer Ramiz Raja.

The Asia Cup, involving six teams, will be played from September 2 to 17, though the exact schedule of the matches is yet to be announced due to the uncertainty over the venue.

Besides Pakistan and India, the other competing countries are Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and one qualifier. The qualifying tournament is underway in Nepal.

The ACC, led by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, is yet to respond to the PCB about the proposed hybrid model. Apparently, the other ACC members also want the Asia Cup to be held at a neutral venue to save cost even though Pakistan will remain the tournament host. — PTI

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