BCCI are not going to back the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup 2023. It suggests all India matches be played in the UAE instead of at host Pakistan.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the Asian Cricket Council chairman. This has made the nation’s stance clear to other officials.
ACC officials were present in Ahmedabad for the IPL 2023 final on May 28 (Sunday). They had an informal meeting with the BCCI senior official.
The rejection of hybrid model would mean Pakistan may boycott the Asia Cup as PCB chief Najam Sethi earlier stated the same.
He also cleared that the Pakistan team won’t travel to India as well.
The ACC executive body has 25 members — 5 Test-playing nations (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan), 3 with ODI and T20I status and 17 more with only T20 status.
The ACC official also cleared that the hybrid model can’t put to vote at the next ACC meeting. As only six of the 19 member nations will participate in the continental event.
The hybrid model does have a logistical issue. What Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi has told the ACC is that having the Asia Cup in two countries means double mileage for broadcasters.
But the BCCI feels that it will be a logistical nightmare considering the UAE might not be the neutral venue.
In fact, the PCB has already told the ACC that they would expect at least 0.5 million USD from gate receipts of the two Indo-Pak matches.
If they held in Sri Lanka, as the capacity of Galle or Premadasa Stadium isn’t as much as Dubai.