Chairman of Pakistan cricket board PCB management committee
Najam Sethi has a firm position that Pakistan will not back off from hosting
Asia Cup 2023.
Photo by Aksh yadav on Unsplash
Najam Sethi highlights the importance of the decision taken
for the Asia Cup 2023 as it will have a huge impact on the World Cup. He said
that the board stands to lose around 3 million in revenues if Pakistan refuses
to play in the Asia Cup this year.
Later in a tweet, Najam Sethi stated that Pakistan is ready
to bear a loss of 3 million to protect their honour and political stance PCB
knows that people don’t want Pakistan to go to India if India is not willing to
come to Pakistan. The people of Pakistan want to stand their ground and not be
dictated to.
Former national side skipper Javed Miandad talk about the
ongoing scenario of India’s refusal to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, he
said that it is India’s turn to visit Pakistan since Pakistan had made the trip
earlier.
Upon being asked if India should visit Pakistan Miandad
immediately responded that they should come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023
likewise, he said if India were to invite us today Pakistan would have gone and
have no problem going to India.
Security concerns were raised by the board for cricket
control in India and playing in Pakistan. In response to this, Javed Miandad
said that there should be no concern about security as we believe that death
will come when it is destined. When the world’s top teams including Australia,
England, and New Zealand are ready to play in Pakistan and they don’t have any
security issues then instead of making a scene India must visit Pakistan for
the Asia Cup and there must not be any security concerns.
Sethi stated that if the Indian government is not allowing
the team to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, they must submit any written
proof. Until now Indian team has failed to submit any. He added Pakistan is
earning good enough from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) that the ICC loss can
be recovered.
Najim Sethi said that we have made it very clear that unless
the Asia Cup is held on a hybrid model like the PCB has proposed India playing
its matches on an offshore venue and the remaining matches will be played in
Pakistan, Pakistan will not accept any other schedule and neither play. Pakistan
is not going to lose its hosting rights.
Sethi has taken a step to resolve the ongoing issue,
proposing this hybrid model to end the controversy and letting India play at an
offshore venue. Statistics show more than half of the revenues to the Asian
Cricket Council are generated from Pakistan and India matches. If the Asian
cricket council accepts the hybrid model it could have a bearing on the ICC
International Cricket Council World Cup as well.
In the span of the last two years, Pakistan and India faced
each other only in the events of ICC and ACC. In 2012, Pakistan made a tour to
India to play limited-overs series.
Sethi took charge in December, still trying his all to sort
out this matter as soon as possible. The Asia Cup is expected to be held in
September 2023.