ICC officials in Lahore to seek PCB assurance over ODI World Cup participation

The International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman and CEO are in Lahore to discuss the Pakistan cricket team's participation in the ODI World Cup in India later this year. According to a report in PTI, the international body has sought a guarantee from the Pakistan Cricket Board that it will not push to implement a hybrid model during the event like it is doing for the Asia Cup scheduled in September.  

Insiders confirmed quoted in the report said that ICC chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice have specifically come to Lahore to get some assurances from the cricket board on the national team's participation in the World Cup in October-November. 

The development comes after PCB chief Najam Sethi made it clear that the team will not travel for the World Cup in India if the Rohit Sharma-led side doesn’t visit Pakistan for the preceding Asia Cup.  

“Although the hybrid model has been suggested by Nijam Sethi for the Asia Cup, which precedes the ICC event, there are concerns that once accepted for the regional event the PCB might also then ask the ICC to implement it for the World Cup when it comes to Pakistan playing in India,” an official said. 

Earlier, Sethi had said that if the Pakistan government has security concerns and doesn’t give clearance on sending the Pakistan cricket team to India, the cricket board can ask the ICC to hold Pakistan's matches during the world cup at a neutral venue. 

“Naturally neither the ICC nor the BCCI want such a situation since Pakistan's unequivocal participation in matches in India would guarantee the success of Indo-Pakistan matches and also the tournament itself,” the official added. 

Another source quoted in the report said that BCCI secretary Jay Shah was also reluctant to accept the hybrid model for the Asia Cup and support having three or four matches of the tournament in Pakistan and the remaining games in UAE or Sri Lanka. 

As Pakistan are the hosts of the Asia Cup, Sethi has said repeatedly that if the tournament is moved to a neutral country from Pakistan, it will not take part in the competition. 

He has also hinted that if Pakistan didn't get to host some of the Asia Cup matches, the step could have an adverse bearing on the World Cup as well. 

Last week, BCCI denied that it had agreed to a hybrid arrangement offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) regarding the matches of the Indian team in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The BCCI officials said that any decision on the Asia Cup 2023 will be taken after the IPL finals on May 28. 

But till now, nothing has been confirmed.

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