New Delhi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday proposed to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to host the Asia Cup with India’s matches organized at a neutral venue. PCB chief Najam Sethi told that he has sent this proposal to ACC. In this, India can play its matches at a neutral venue while the rest of the teams will play in Pakistan. The Board of Cricket in India (BCCI) had refused to travel to Pakistan. Due to political tensions between the two countries and demanded the continental tournament shifted to a neutral venue.

“We have decided to have it on a ‘hybrid model’ where Pakistan will play Asia Cup matches at their home ground and India will play their matches at a neutral venue,” Sethi told a press conference here. This is our proposal to the Asian Cricket Council. The Asia Cup proposed organized from September 2 to 17. In which six teams will participate. Due to the uncertainty regarding the venue, however, the exact schedule of the matches has not been announced yet.

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Apart from Pakistan and India, a qualifier team along with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh will participate in the Asia Cup. The qualifying tournament continues in Nepal. Sethi has high hopes from Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s visit to India next month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (ACO) Council meeting. He hoped that the visit of the Foreign Minister to Goa would help in improving the relations between the two countries.

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Sethi said, “We told that relations can be normal. If this happens then India will consider participating in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025. We advised to go to India for the World Cup along with playing the Asia Cup at a neutral venue. He, however, did not say who gave this advice. Sethi indicated that the opinion of the people of his country is that Pakistan should play cricket on equal terms with India.

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He said, “There is no restriction from our government to play against India. But I can say on public opinion that we are not needy and we can stand on our feet financially. We want to play respectable cricket with India. We are also in talks with ACC.”

The ‘hybrid’ Experiment Could be Implemented During the World Cup as Well

Sethi said that if Pakistan decides to shift all India’s matches in the Asia Cup to neutral venues. The neighboring country should also implement the same ‘hybrid model’ during the 50-over World Cup in October-November this year. Needed. “We feel this ‘hybrid’ experiment can be implemented during the World Cup as well,” Sethi said.