INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: Zaka Ashraf, the likely new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has rejected his predecessor Najam Sethi's proposed
"hybrid model" for the upcoming Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka in September
Ashraf expressed his disagreement with the model during a press conference in the Pakistani capital on Wednesday."The first point is that I
had rejected the hybrid model (for Asia Cup) in the past itself - because I do not agree with it
The board of the Asian Cricket Council had decided that it should be held in Pakistan, then we should host it," Ashraf stated.Ashraf's
stance could potentially jeopardise Pakistan's participation in the World Cup, and it is anticipated that the Board of Control for Cricket
in India (BCCI) will also take a firm position
If Pakistan deviates from the agreed-upon decision of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), there might be no middle ground, potentially leading
to the Asia Cup being held without Pakistan's participation as a five-nation tournament."The Asia Cup model has been accepted by the ACC,
and there would be no change
Ashraf is free to say whatever he wants," an ACC board member clarified.Zaka Ashraf is one of the two nominees for the PCB chairman's post
chosen by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who serves as the patron-in-chief of the board and holds the final say in appointments
Ashraf's appointment is expected to be a mere formality at this point.The hybrid model was approved by the ACC, headed by BCCI's Jay Shah,
after India made it clear that they would not travel to Pakistan due to the prevailing geopolitical situation
The model proposed that four matches would be held in Pakistan, including the host country's group league match against Nepal, while the
remaining matches involving Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan would be scheduled in Lahore.However, the situation took a dramatic turn
in the last 48 hours following Sethi's announcement on Twitter that he was stepping down
Sethi cited instability and uncertainty within the PCB as the reason for his decision.Ashraf, a banker by profession, previously served as
During the press conference, he expressed his disapproval of inconsequential matches being held in Pakistan when they had been granted the
hosting rights."All the main matches are happening outside (of Pakistan)
(Teams like) Nepal and Bhutan are going to play in Pakistan - which is not fair for Pakistan," Ashraf remarked, highlighting the perceived
He mentioned that he would assess the previous decisions made by the board and take appropriate action for the betterment of Pakistan.Ashraf
also acknowledged that the issue of Pakistan's participation in the World Cup is yet to be resolved, implying that the release of the
tournament's schedule could face further delays."There are challenges lined up ahead for Pakistan, there are many pending issues, the Asia
Cup is there, then the World Cup, the team's preparations, a lot of issues
I do not want to speak against anyone because I have not (yet) taken over," Ashraf stated, refraining from commenting on Sethi's
statement.Ashraf's firm stance on the Asia Cup, coupled with Pakistan's demands for neutral venues for World Cup matches, is likely to
strain relations further with the BCCI and the International Cricket Council (ICC), as it is expected that neither organisation will accept
Pakistan's demands.It is worth noting that the last bilateral series between India and Pakistan took place in 2012 when Zaka Ashraf was the
PCB chairman.(With inputs from PTI)
