Asia Cup 2023: Days after the Asian Cricket Council admitted that the Asia Cup 2023 will be conducted under a hybrid model, Zaka Ashraf, the PCB’s likely next chairperson, delivered a bombshell on June 21 voicing his doubts. Zaka Ashraf rejected his predecessor Najam Sethi’s prepared “hybrid model” for the Asia Cup 2023.
Zaka Ashraf, who soon will be the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), criticized the “hybrid model,” arguing that Pakistan should host the entire tournament by itself. According to the existing arrangement, Sri Lanka and Pakistan would each host a portion of the continental competition, but Ashraf isn’t pleased that the island nation was getting more than half of the matches of Asia Cup 2023.
“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 previously decided that it should be held in Pakistan, then we should host it,” Ashraf stated.
“All the main matches are happening outside (of Pakistan). Nepal and Bhutan are going to play in Pakistan – which is not fair for Pakistan. I do not know what the board has decided previously, I do not have access to the information. I will check, whatever is doable in the shortest possible time, will do that for the betterment of Pakistan,” he concluded.
ACC also responded to the matter and they looked quite solid in their stance of conducting the ASIA CUP 2023 in a Hybrid Model.
An ACC member was found quoting PTI, “The Asia Cup model has been accepted by ACC and there would be no change. Ashraf is free to say whatever he wants.” The ACC member was quite confident that nothing is going to change in Asia Cup 2023 accepted hybrid model.
Ashraf modified his tone when his remarks sparked intense discussion among cricket fans on social media and received a blunt unofficial response from ACC, saying he “can’t do anything about it” now that the decision has been made.
“In my personal opinion, this whole hybrid model isn’t beneficial for Pakistan and I didn’t like it. Being a host, Pakistan should have negotiated better to make sure that the entire tournament should have played in Pakistan. Sri Lanka taking the bigger lot of games, leaving Pakistan with only four games, isn’t in the best interest of our country” said Ashraf.
“But I see the decision has been made, so we have to go with it. I will not block or have any intention not to comply with the decision. I cannot do much about it but to honor the commitment. But going forward, every decision we make will be made for and in the interest of the country,” he added.
Ashraf affirmed that he would not attempt to invalidate the agreement that the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Asian Cricket Council had previously reached.
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