ICC World Cup 2023 will be held in India. However, PCB has expressed reservations against travelling to India for the event due to BCCI's reluctance to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023. Meanwhile, ICC chairman Greg Barclay will meet PCB's Najam Sethi over the matter.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice will be meeting Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi at the board's Lahore headquarters to discuss the issues related to their national team's participation in the 2023 ICC World Cup in India, starting October 5. The ICC head honchos apart from Sethi will also meet PCB's COO Barrister Salman Naseer and other senior board officials.
As of now, Sethi has maintained PCB's stand that if India doesn't come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, it will also demand that their games are played in Bangladesh. Barclay and Allardice will like to get a clearer picture and also break the deadlock with regards to the issue as an India versus Pakistan game in Dhaka will be a very bad advertisement not only for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) but also for the global body.
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The PCB insider claimed that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and even Nepal have all conveyed to Shah they have no issues playing a few games in Pakistan while the rest of the event should be held in Sri Lanka in September. Barclay will be visiting Pakistan for the first time although Allardice has been to Lahore frequently since taking charge in the ICC. Barclay will be the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali's visit in 2008. This will also be the first time since October 2004 when both the top two ICC officials will drop in at the PCB headquarters.
(With inputs from PTI)