India

NEW DELHI: Zaka Ashraf, the likely new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has rejected his predecessor Najam Sethi's proposed "hybrid model" for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in September.

Ashraf expressed his disagreement with the model during a press conference in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday."The first point is that I had rejected the hybrid model (for Asia Cup) in the past itself - because I do not 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 stated.Ashraf's stance could potentially jeopardise Pakistan's participation in the World Cup, and it is anticipated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will also take a firm position.

If Pakistan deviates from the agreed-upon decision of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), there might be no middle ground, potentially leading to the Asia Cup being held without Pakistan's participation as a five-nation tournament."The Asia Cup model has been accepted by the ACC, and there would be no change.

Ashraf is free to say whatever he wants," an ACC board member clarified.Zaka Ashraf is one of the two nominees for the PCB chairman's post chosen by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who serves as the patron-in-chief of the board and holds the final say in appointments.

Ashraf's appointment is expected to be a mere formality at this point.The hybrid model was approved by the ACC, headed by BCCI's Jay Shah, after India made it clear that they would not travel to Pakistan due to the prevailing geopolitical situation.

The model proposed that four matches would be held in Pakistan, including the host country's group league match against Nepal, while the remaining matches involving Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan would be scheduled in Lahore.However, the situation took a dramatic turn in the last 48 hours following Sethi's announcement on Twitter that he was stepping down.

Sethi cited instability and uncertainty within the PCB as the reason for his decision.Ashraf, a banker by profession, previously served as the PCB chairman.

During the press conference, he expressed his disapproval of inconsequential matches being held in Pakistan when they had been granted the hosting rights."All the main matches are happening outside (of Pakistan).

(Teams like) Nepal and Bhutan are going to play in Pakistan - which is not fair for Pakistan," Ashraf remarked, highlighting the perceived inequity.

He mentioned that he would assess the previous decisions made by the board and take appropriate action for the betterment of Pakistan.Ashraf also acknowledged that the issue of Pakistan's participation in the World Cup is yet to be resolved, implying that the release of the tournament's schedule could face further delays."There are challenges lined up ahead for Pakistan, there are many pending issues, the Asia Cup is there, then the World Cup, the team's preparations, a lot of issues.

I do not want to speak against anyone because I have not (yet) taken over," Ashraf stated, refraining from commenting on Sethi's statement.Ashraf's firm stance on the Asia Cup, coupled with Pakistan's demands for neutral venues for World Cup matches, is likely to strain relations further with the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC), as it is expected that neither organisation will accept Pakistan's demands.It is worth noting that the last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012 when Zaka Ashraf was the PCB chairman.(With inputs from PTI)





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