Pakistan Cricket Board Demands Four Matches At Home Soil to Stop Pulling Out From Asia Cup 2023: Report

Najam Sethi, the head of the PCB, told the Asian Cricket Council that the committee would be happy even if Pakistan were to play host to four Asia Cup games. If his plea is turned down, PCB will withdraw from the Asia Cup.

Pakistan is pushing hard to get at least something at their home ground in the upcoming Asia Cup. They have sounded out a request to the Asian Cricket Council to give them the opportunity to host at least four first round games of the Asia Cup. PCB has threatened to withdraw from both the Asia Cup and the ACC if their demands are not met.

Background of the Situation 

Other participating countries have rejected PCB chairman Najam Sethi's "Hybrid Model," which would have Pakistan play its home matches except India matche, in their own country. In response, PCB rejected the notion of holding Asia Cup games in Sri Lanka. They suggested four matches – Pakistan vs Nepal, Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh matches to be conducted at Pakistan.

“Yes, Najam Sethi as part of the plan B of the hybrid model proposed by us for the Asia Cup has informed the ACC this week in Dubai that PCB would be satisfied hosting four games at home,” a reliable source close to the cricket board said, according to Zee News.

Additionally, he said that Sethi had informed the ACC in Dubai that Pakistan would not participate in the Asia Cup and would also resign from the Asian Cricket Council if even this plan B of the PCB was turned down by ACC members.

Dubai as a possible replacement venue 

Sethi had previously informed the ACC representatives that PCB would be content to play almost all of its other fixtures in Dubai, including the championship game.

“The one challenge now facing the ACC and us as hosts is that Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India are insisting the event shouldn’t be held in UAE in September as the weather is very hot,” the source said.

“In the recent past, BCCI has organized the entire (half) of IPL in UAE between September and November (in 2021) while the last two Asia Cups have also been held in UAE during the same period,” the PCB source reminded.