Zaka Ashraf, who is likely to become the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, has rejected the hybrid model for the Asia Cup 2023. The PCB is set to announce a new chairman after interim chief Najam Sethi announced that he would not be in the running for the permanent job. Meanwhile, Ashraf has given a blistering statement on the venue of the Asia Cup 2023.
The controversy over the Asia Cup doesn’t seem to be ending on the mind of the next PCB chief. After PCB’s proposal to organize Asia Cup 2023 in hybrid model, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) recently confirmed their request and announced the schedule and venues of the tournament. Meanwhile, now the potential chief appears to be going back on the earlier move. ,
The first thing is that I had already rejected the hybrid model (for the Asia Cup) – because I don’t agree with it. The board of the Asian Cricket Council had decided that it should be held in Pakistan, then we should host it, Ashraf said during a press conference in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday.
However, it is being told that this may put Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup in jeopardy and BCCI may also play hardball. An ACC member also said that the venue cannot be changed now. “The Asia Cup model has been accepted by the ACC and there will be no change in it.
Ashraf is free to say anything,” an ACC board member told PTI.
Notably, Ashraf is one of the two candidates to be elected to the post of Speaker. The selection of the chairman is set to be made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif, who is the Patron-in-Chief of the Board and has the final say in the appointment. Ashraf says the model is unfair to Pakistan and main matches are held outside the original host country.
“All the main matches are happening (outside Pakistan) (teams like) Nepal and Bhutan are going to play in Pakistan – which is not fair for Pakistan. I don’t know what the board has decided earlier, I don’t have access to “I will investigate, do whatever is possible in the shortest possible time for the good of Pakistan,” he said.
After approving the PCB’s proposal for a hybrid model, the ACC announced the venues and schedule for the tournament on 15 June. “We are delighted to announce that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held from 31st August to 17th September 2023 and will see elite teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal competing in a total of 13 exciting ODI matches Matches,” the ACC wrote in a statement released.