Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethi wants India to take the first step and travel to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup. Sethi has also revealed that he has been advised to organize the Asia Cup at a neutral venue and travel to India for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit India next month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) council and Sethi’s remarks came in response to a question about the visit. “We argue that India should take the first step and come to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup,” Sethi was quoted as saying by Geo News. Meanwhile, he made a revelation that he is advised to hold the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.
“We have been told that, maybe, the snow keeps melting. If this happens when the Champions Trophy is held in Pakistan in 2025, India will consider playing in Pakistan. We have been advised to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue.” And will also go to India for the World Cup.”
Sethi also said that he has proposed a hybrid model where India can play its Asia Cup matches at a neutral venue while Pakistan and other teams can play in the host country. “We have decided on this hybrid model that Pakistan will play their Asia Cup matches at home and India at neutral venues and this is our proposal to the Asian Cricket Council,” Sethi said. According to a PTI report, Sethi had sent a proposal on the hybrid model to the ACC. He also said that the hybrid model should be implemented at the time of the World Cup as well. “We think this hybrid experiment can be implemented even when it is time for the World Cup,” Sethi said.
The Asia Cup was scheduled in September this year but BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is also the president of the ACC, announced in October 2022 that India would not travel to Pakistan. The venue of the Asia Cup 2023 was discussed in the first formal meeting between BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and PCB Chairman Najam Sethi on February 4 in Bahrain but the final decision was put on hold.