PCB Chairman Najam Sethi notifies the ICC of Pakistan’s reluctance to play the opening ODI World Cup matches in Ahmedabad, according to reports.

PCB chairman Najam Sethi has conveyed to his ICC counterpart Greg Barclay his reluctance to play India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad unless it is a knockout match such as the Final. After the hybrid model was rejected, the schism between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) intensified. In addition, the PCB suffered a significant setback when Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan rejected their proposed hybrid model for the 2023 Asia Cup.

PCB has conceded that they have no objections to competing in Kolkata, Chennai, and Bengaluru if the Pakistan national team receives permission from the Pakistani government to travel to India for the ICC world cup. Notably, Barclay and ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice recently travelled to Karachi to seek the PCB president’s assurances that they will not request that their ODI World Cup matches be played at neutral venues. Due to the fact that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is likely to deny their proposal to play the Asia Cup using the proposed Hybrid Model.

“Sethi has informed Barclay and Allardice that Pakistan does not want its matches to be played in Ahmedabad unless it is a knockout match, such as the final. As reported by Onmanorama, he also asked the ICC to schedule their games in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata if the national team receives permission from the Pakistani government to travel to India for the global event scheduled for October and November.

Najam Sethi requests the ICC to persuade the BCCI to adopt a ‘hybrid model’
Najam Sethi reportedly asked ICC officials to convince the BCCI to approve Pakistan’s hybrid model for the Asia Cup, according to a senior PCB source. In addition, Sethi revealed his thoughts on the most recent revenue-sharing model. Sethi appeared dissatisfied with the new revenue structure and demanded that the Pakistan board’s share be increased for the next five-year cycle.

In a similar vein, the PCB chairman supported his statement by stating that Australia and England regularly play bilateral series with India and allow their players to participate in the Indian Premier League, which ultimately generates additional revenue for both the concerned boards. Therefore, it was unjust on their part in light of the larger context of Pakistan Cricket.

The ICC and BCCI officials who are presently in London for the World Test Championship are anticipated to make a final decision regarding the schedule and venues for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023, which is scheduled to take place in India later this year.