ODI World Cup 2023: ICC chairman and CEO seeks assurance from Pakistan board that will send team to India

Karachi: The Chairman and CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC) is in Lahore to seek assurances from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it will implement the hybrid model for their matches in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 to be held in India later this year. Will not insist on Insiders confirmed to news agency PTI that ICC chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice have specially come to Lahore to seek certain assurances from the Pakistan Cricket Board on the national team’s participation in the World Cup in October-November.

The development comes after PCB chief Najam Sethi clarified that the team will not travel to India for the World Cup if the Rohit Sharma-led side does not tour Pakistan before the Asia Cup.

“The ICC and the World Cup hosts, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), are concerned with the hybrid model being introduced by Najam Sethi, who heads the PCB’s Cricket Management Committee. Although a hybrid model has been suggested by Sethi for the Asia Cup, which takes place before the ICC event, concerns remain that the PCB, once accepted for the regional event, will ask the ICC to implement it for the World Cup. That’s about all one can ask to do when it comes to playing for Pakistan. In India,” the source explained.

2011: ODI World Cup in India
MI were outclassed in the second quarter by the table toppers (RCB)
CSK beat table toppers (RCB) in the final
India won the World Cup

2023: ODI World Cup in India
Knocked out in Q2 by Mi Table Topper (GT)
CSK beat table toppers (GT) in the final
India will do world cup pic.twitter.com/TEIEoFmsQo— Utsav_ (@utsav045) May 30, 2023

Sethi has already hinted that the PCB may ask the ICC to hold Pakistan’s matches at a neutral venue if the Pakistan government does not give clearance about sending the team to India or there are security concerns. “Naturally, neither the ICC nor the BCCI want such a situation as explicit participation of Pakistan in matches in India would guarantee the success of India-Pakistan matches and tournaments,” the source said.

Another source said that this was the primary reason why BCCI secretary Jay Shah is still reluctant to accept the hybrid model for the Asia Cup and favor three or four matches of the tournament in Pakistan and the remaining games in the UAE or Sri Lanka. Were. Pakistan is the host of the Asia Cup and Sethi has repeatedly said that if the tournament is moved from Pakistan to one of the neutral countries, he will not participate in the competition.

He has also indicated that if Pakistan does not get to host some matches of the Asia Cup 2023, it may have an adverse effect on the World Cup as well. “The ICC officials are trying to act as a bridge between the PCB and the BCCI and sort out the pending issues related to the Asia Cup and the World Cup,” the source said.