If Ashraf doesn’t modify his position, the Asia Cup may be played as a five-nation competition without Pakistan because the ACC executive body has approved the hybrid model.
Zaka Ashraf, the potential successor to Najam Sethi as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has rejected the much-discussed “hybrid model” for the 2018 Asia Cup, which will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in September.
“The first thing is that, since I disagree with it, I had already rejected the hybrid concept (for the Asia Cup) in the past. We should host it, Ashraf remarked at a news conference on Wednesday in the Pakistani capital after the Asian Cricket Council’s board agreed it should be staged in Pakistan.
Ashraf’s remarks may also jeopardise Pakistan’s World Cup participation, and it’s anticipated that the BCCI would take a harsh line as well. If they go against what the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) members had decided, there won’t be any room for compromise.
In light of the ACC executive body’s approval of the hybrid model, if Ashraf doesn’t modify his position, the Asia Cup may be played as a five-nation event without Pakistan.
There would be no changes because the ACC has approved the Asia Cup plan. According to a member of the ACC board, Ashraf is allowed to say anything he wants.
Ashraf is one of the two candidates for the PCB chairman’s position that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif personally selected. Sharif serves as the board’s patron-in-chief and has the last word in appointment decisions. The appointment of Ashraf is currently only a formality.
The ACC, under by BCCI chief Jay Shah, agreed the hybrid format after India made it plain that it won’t visit Pakistan because of the current geopolitical scenario.
The host nation of Pakistan will play its group league match against Nepal, while three other games featuring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also take place in Lahore. It was determined that Pakistan will host four games.
However, when Sethi made his resignation announcement on Twitter, events have shifted significantly during the past 48 hours.
“I don’t want to be a source of conflict between Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari. Such unpredictability and volatility are bad for PCB. Given the facts, I am not a contender for PCB Chairmanship. All parties are wished well, Sethi had said.
Previously, Ashraf, a banker by trade, served as chairman of the PCB.
During his time with the media, Ashraf expressed his dislike for the thought of meaningless competitions taking place in his nation while they hold the hosting rights.
“All the important games are taking place outside of Pakistan. It is unfair to Pakistan for (teams like) Nepal and Bhutan to play in Pakistan. I don’t have access to the material, thus I am unaware of the board’s past decisions.
“I will check, and whatever is doable in the shortest possible time, will do that for the betterment of Pakistan,” he added.The World Cup problem still has to be resolved, according to Ashraf, which may imply that the schedule announcement would be postponed further.
“Pakistan has several obstacles in the future, including the Asia Cup, the World Cup, the team’s preparations, and other outstanding difficulties. Since I haven’t yet assumed control, I don’t want to speak negatively about anyone, Ashraf remarked, declining to mention Sethi.
“I’ll check the situation once I take over. I never hide anything, I always bring the media. We have a clear conscience and must fight for Pakistan’s improvement. It is well known that neither the BCCI nor the ICC would agree to Pakistan’s demands that World Cup matches be played at neutral venues under any circumstances, and now Ashraf’s firm attitude on the Asia Cup may further deteriorate ties.
