Pakistan Might Not Take Part In Asia Cup 2023 If Tournament Is Moved Out From Country: Report

PCB chairman Najam Sethi wants no further delay in the scheduling of Asia Cup 2023.

India's captain Rohit Sharma (R) and Pakistan's captain Babar Azam arrive for the toss before start of the Asia Cup Twenty20 international cricket Group A match between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on August 28, 2022.

Source : AFP

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Najam Sethi will reportedly demand a "written guarantee" of India's participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 scheduled to be played in Pakistan before taking a call on whether Pakistan should travel to India for the ODI World Cup later this year.

The ODI World Cup is set to commence from October 5 and it is being learnt that BCCI have shortlisted Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata as the venues which can host matches of the Pakistan team. The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match could be organised at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Notably, PCB had proposed a "Hybrid model" for Asia Cup 2023 but the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) which is being led by Jay Shah who is also the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not agreed to the same. A report carried by PTI claims that Sethi will be flying to Dubai for a meeting with the ACC and Internatioanal Cricket Council (ICC) members.

"Sethi has recently met with some government officials and also obtained advice from them on whether Pakistan should play in the Asia Cup if it is not held in Lahore and Dubai as proposed by the PCB under its hybrid model plan to the ACC," a reliable source as per a PTI report said.

In addtion, the source reckons that Sethi will make it clear that Pakistan won't take part in Asia Cup 2023 if the tournament is moved out of the country.

"Sethi is expected to make it very clear to the ACC members that either they accept Pakistan's hybrid proposal or the PCB will not take part in the competition this year if it is moved from Pakistan."

The PCB Chairman is not willing to accept any more delay for the ODI continental tournament which was held in the UAE last year in teh T20 format and was won by Sri Lanka.

Other than the Asia Cup saga, Sethi is also clear that unless India guarantee it's participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, they cannot commit to playing the ODI World Cup.