Lahore. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has now adopted a tough stance on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). There are differences between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the conduct of Asia Cup and World Cup matches. ICC President Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice have arrived in Lahore, Pakistan. There he clearly wanted to know from the PCB whether he would send his team to the One Day World Cup to be held in India in October or not. Earlier, PCB chief and senior journalist Najam Sethi had said that if the BCCI did not send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, the PCB team would also not go to India to play the World Cup. Najam Sethi had also proposed to have a hybrid match between India and Pakistan.
Najam Sethi had told that if the Pakistan government does not give permission to send the team to India, then matches can be held with India at a neutral place. This is being called the hybrid method. According to PCB’s hybrid model, four matches of the Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan and all India matches will be held at neutral grounds. BCCI secretary Jay Shah does not agree with this. Najam Sethi had said after a clear denial from Jay Shah that if the Asia Cup was not held in Pakistan, the PCB team would not take part in it at all.
Actually, there is a political confrontation between India and Pakistan. Due to the spread of terrorism by Pakistan, India has suspended all kinds of sports relations with it. The approval to send the team to the BCCI has not been received from the Government of India many times before. In such a situation, BCCI says that Asia Cup cricket matches should be held in other countries instead of Pakistan. PCB is opposing this demand of BCCI. Now everyone’s eyes are on whether after the intervention of the ICC, the PCB softens its stand and accepts the BCCI’s offer or not.