The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called the reports of Men in Green wanting to play its ICC World cup 2023 matches at a neutral venue like Bangladesh instead of hosts India, factually incorrect.
The board also said that while talks are on for India to play its Asia Cup 2023 matches outside Pakistan, but nothing has been finalized.
Earlier former PCB CEO and current ICC General Manager of Cricket Wasim Khan had told ARY News that Pakistan are thinking about 'not playing their World Cup matches in India' as the BCCI isn't sending its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
In response, PCB chief Najam Sethi said he had briefed the media on the hybrid model he had presented to the ACC officials for the Asia Cup to end the deadlock with BCCI over India not traveling to Pakistan.
In a PCB statement, Najam Sethi said: "This proposal - to play India's matches at a neutral venue and the rest in Pakistan - is under discussions within the ACC. At no stage during Thursday's media interaction, did I give any reference to the ICC or made any remarks on the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled in October. This matter has not been mooted or discussed at any ICC forum so far.”
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The statement further clarified that at no point the issue of Pakistan playing its matches in the ICC World Cup, which is to be hosted by India in October-November later year, at a neutral venue was discussed.
“In this background, the PCB is disappointed that a leading English language newspaper has misquoted, misinterpreted and misrepresented Mr Sethi's comments and gave the impression that PCB's hybrid model was presented and discussed at the ICC, which is factually incorrect.
At this stage, the PCB is only in discussions with the ACC over the hosting of the ACC Asia Cup and no discussions regarding the World Cup have taken place with the ICC. This is not to say that the hybrid model will not be advocated at the proper ICC forum at the right time," it added.
(PCB inputs)
