Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka and Bangladesh Support PCB’s Hybrid Model
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, two significant members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), have expressed willingness to support Pakistan’s “hybrid model” proposed by PCB for the Asia Cup 2023 to resolve Indian concerns.
The deterioration of political relations between India and Pakistan over the past decade has resulted in the cessation of bilateral cricket between the two countries, which now compete only in multi-team tournaments at neutral venues.
India has ruled out traveling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, citing safety concerns, and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed to host their matches in the United Arab Emirates.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet provided an official response to the offer, PCB officials believed that India wished for the complete tournament to be relocated from Pakistan.
The PCB has been persuading all ACC members to accept its proposal. Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, according to sources cited by Geo News, have approved the hybrid model. At the same time, ACC President Jay Shah is prepared to evaluate the proposal at an official meeting in Dubai within two days.
Sources indicate that Shah, also the secretary of the BCCI, has convened an official meeting with ACC board members to discuss PCB’s hybrid model for hosting the Asia Cup. After this informal discussion, an official council meeting will likely be convened by the end of the month to determine the fate of the Asian event.
Pakistan has provided two hybrid model options. In the first scenario, India’s matches will be contested at a neutral venue, while all other matches will be held in Pakistan.
In an alternative scenario, four group stage matches will be played in Pakistan during the first phase, while the second phase will be played at a neutral venue. During the second phase, the Indian team’s matches, the matches of the subsequent stages, and the final will be played.
According to sources cited by Geo News, the cricket authorities of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to the second option.
In the event of its approval, Pakistan will host their group match against Nepal. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will play their group-stage matches in Pakistan. Pakistan will host four matches before the league shifts to a neutral location that will be mutually determined.
PCB desires UAE to be the neutral venue because it guarantees that gate receipts will be deposited into their account. However, Dambulla and Pallekele, two communities in Sri Lanka, can also be considered neutral sites.