Asia Cup Saga: Amid Tug Of War With BCCI, Pak Board Chief Shares Final Plan

The PCB has proposed that India can play their Asia Cup matches at a neutral venue while Pakistan and other competing teams play in the host country, its chief Najam Sethi revealed on Friday. Sethi said they have sent a proposal to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had refused to travel to Pakistan due to political tension between the two nations and demanded the shifting of the continental tournament to a neutral venue.

"We have decided on this hybrid model that Pakistan plays its Asia Cup matches at home and India their matches at a neutral venue and that is our proposal to the Asian Cricket Council," said Sethi, who took over as the PCB chairman from former cricketer Ramiz Raja, during a press conference.

The Asia Cup, involving six teams, will be played from September 2 to 17, though the exact schedule of matches is yet to be announced due to uncertainty over the venue.

Besides Pakistan and India, the other competing countries are Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and one team which will emerge from the ACC qualifiers.

The qualifying tournament is underway in Nepal.

Sethi hoped that the visit of his country's foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari next month to the Indian coastal city of Goa for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) Council meeting will help thaw relations between the two nations.

"We have been told that, maybe, the ice will keep on melting. If this happens when the Champions Trophy is held in Pakistan in 2025, India would consider playing in Pakistan. We have been advised to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue and also go to India for the World Cup," said Sethi but did not say exactly who has advised them.

Sethi indicated the public mood in