The Asian Cricket Council will approve the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) hybrid model for the 2023 Asia Cup, with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue.
Under this mod Hybrid model Pakistan will be able to host only four matches in the upcoming tournament at home and the remaining matches will be played in Sri Lanka. Indian news agency Press Trust India said.
“Oman Cricket Board chief Pankaj Khimji, one of the respected ACC executive board members, was tasked to find a solution as most countries do not want the hybrid model,” an ACC board member told the news agency. on condition of anonymity.
“But so far four non-India games – Pakistan vs Nepal, Bangladesh vs Afghanistan, Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh – will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
“The two India vs Pakistan games and all other Super Four games will be played at Pallekele or Galle.”
According to the report, the ACC may make an official announcement on Tuesday. The tournament is scheduled from September 1-17, with the Pakistan-leg games to be played in Lahore.
Pakistan is also likely to travel to India for this World Cup after the hybrid model was approved for the Asia Cup.
The 2023 Asia Cup will be a 50-over event as it will be used to prepare for the ODI World Cup. Group 1 of the Asia Cup features Pakistan, India and Nepal, while Group 2 will feature defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four of the tournament as per last year’s format.
It may be noted that the PCB proposed the hybrid model after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
India has not visited Pakistan since 2008 due to strained relations between the two countries. The last bilateral series between the arch-rivals was in 2012, when Pakistan toured India for a limited-overs match.
In the last few years, the two countries have only faced each other in ICC and ACC events.
