Asia Cup 2023: Former PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf Wants Pakistan To Lobby For Its Interest As The Hosts

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf wants the board to lobby for its interest as the host nation for Asia Cup 2023.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in September and is supposed to be the last stop before the World Cup in India. While the Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in Pakistan, BCCI has refused that the Indian team will travel to the neighboring country.

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Current PCB Chairman Najam Sethi has proposed a hybrid model to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The model states that India will play their matches at a neutral venue.

Also read: ICC World Cup 2023: “Pakistan Not Going To The World Cup Isn’t The Right Move” Ex-Pakistan Player Danish Kaneria

Even this hybrid model is not certain, as it has not been finalized and adopted by the ACC. Zaka says that his nation should voice its concerns and its voice in front of rest of the Asia.

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“As the Asian Cricket Council’s Board has allocated the event to Pakistan, the board members should be taken into confidence aga­inst the Indian stance of not visiting Pakistan to par­t­icipate,” Zaka said.

He also noted that all ACC members initially accepted for Pakistan to host Asia Cup.

“All the board members of the ACC allocated the event to PCB then how they can take a u-turn just to please India,” he said.

The tournament will feature 2 groups of 3 teams playing each other twice. Two semi-finalists from each group, etc. Ind and Pak are in the same group with the two facing each other at least twice.

If India plays their games at a neutral venue, this mouth-watering encounter against the Men in Green is something every nation wants to house. So nations like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE, and even England have shown interest in being neutral venues.

Also read: Asia Cup 2023: “The Cricketing Relationship Between India And Pakistan Is A Sad Affair”- Imran Khan

Pakistan might have denied playing in the ODI World Cup in India

Reports emerged earlier this week that the Pakistan National team and the PCB have refused to travel to India for the ODI World Cup later this year. This was in retaliation for BCCI refusing to allow the Indian team to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2023.

ESPNCricinfo had recently reported that the Pakistan team wanted to play their world cup matches in Bangladesh. ICC has since denied the reports and rumors of the 2023 ODI World Cup taking place in Bangladesh.

Also read: Asia Cup 2023: “Hybrid Model Only Solution To Pakistan-India Tension” – Najam Sethi

PCB has also clarified that no such proposal has been discussed. The only proposal they made was for the ACC, as chairman Najam Sethi drafted a hybrid plan for India’s matches at September’s Asia Cup, with no mention of the World Cup.

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