Asia Cup 2023: Najam Sethi Suggests New Venue For the Tournament
Amid the ongoing commotion, Najam Sethi has proposed an alternative venue for the tournament. During an interview with Sports Hour, the president of PCB suggested that the tournament could take place in the United Kingdom. He emphasized that Pakistan has the authority to select the tournament’s location as the host nation.
“England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Sethi said on Sports Hour.
Sethi presented the proposed schedule and modifications to the hybrid model to save the Asia Cup during the meeting. According to the proposed schedule, four matches will be played in Pakistan, followed by seven and the final in UAE.
All four teams excluding India – Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal – will journey to Pakistan once to play their matches and take chartered aircraft to Dubai for the remainder of the tournament.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the Cricket Asia Cup 2023 in September of this year, but India has refused to travel for the tournament. During a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council, Pakistan proposed a hybrid model in which all teams would play in Pakistan except for India, which would play at a neutral venue. India has also rejected this proposal and is now advocating for the entire tournament to be held in a neutral location.
Recently, Sethi traveled to the UAE for crucial meetings with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Emirates Cricket Board officials. Tuesday, Sethi met with ACC Vice President Pankaj Khimji, where he reportedly presented additional information about the hybrid model.