ICC World Cup 2023: PCB asks 'written guarantee' from BCCI for Pakistan's participation - Details here

By PTI News | First Published May 7, 2023, 12:10 PM IST

ICC World Cup 2023: Ahead of Pakistan's participation in the tournament in India, the PCB has asked for a "written guarantee" from the BCCI for participating in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi will seek a "written guarantee" from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) supremo Jay Shah about the Indian team's participation in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan before committing to their national team playing its ICC World Cup games in India, later this year.

The 2023 CWC will be played from October 5, and BCCI has zeroed in on Ahmedabad (for the India game), Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata as possible venues for Babar Azam's side. However, with Asian Cricket Council (ACC), under the chairmanship of Jay Shah, not confirming the proposed 'Hybrid Model' for the upcoming Asia Cup, where India played its matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Pakistan plays its games in its home country, Sethi has been advised to play hardball.

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According to a reliable source, Sethi is scheduled to leave for Dubai on May 8 to hold meetings with ACC and International Cricket Council (ICC) officials. The source in PCB said that during his Dubai visit, Sethi is also expected to start lobbying to garner support for Pakistan's "principled stance that it will not play its CWC matches in India unless the BCCI and ICC give written guarantees India will come to Pakistan to play in the 2025 Champions Trophy."

"Sethi has recently met with some government officials and 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," the source said. He added that Sethi had got tacit approval from the government quarters to convey a solid and blunt stance to the ACC members about hosting the Asia Cup in September.

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"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 participate in the competition this year if it is moved from Pakistan," the source further stated. The PCB chairman is unwilling to accept more delays in scheduling the Asia Cup.

"Sethi has now realized that it is time for some hard decisions and is not willing to accept any more delays from the ACC on the finalization of venues and schedule for the Asia Cup. Sethi is clear now no Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, no Pakistan team in Asia Cup," the source concluded.

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