Reports: Najam Sethi to take written guarantee from Jay Shah before sending Pakistan for ODI World Cup 2023

The Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman, Najam Sethi, is expected to take a written guarantee from the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) Secretary, Jay Shah, regarding India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan before agreeing to send Pakistan team to India for ODI World Cup 2023. Both cricket boards have been at loggerheads with each other over finalizing the host country for the Asia Cup 2023.

Pakistan won the hosting rights for the tournament in 2022, however, Jay Shah denied India’s participation in the event as India haven’t travelled to Pakistan since 2008 due to political reasons. Hence, BCCI wants the tournament to take place at a neutral venue outside of Pakistan.

Irked by India’s stance, Najam Sethi has also time and again refused to send his team for the ODI World Cup 2023 scheduled to take place in India later this year. According to a report in IndiaTV, PCB is looking for a written guarantee from BCCI's General Secretary that India will travel to Pakistan for ICC Champions Trophy 2025 if they agree on playing the World Cup matches in India.

Sethi is expected to have further discussions with ACC and ICC officials on the matter and will travel to Dubai, on May 8, for the same. A PCB source has revealed that their chairman has consulted with the Pakistan government and has come up with a hybrid model plan for the Asia Cup, which he will present to ACC.

"Sethi has recently met with some government officials and also obtained advice from them on whether Pakistan should play in the Asia Cup if it is not held in Lahore and Dubai as proposed by the PCB under its hybrid model plan to the ACC. Sethi is expected to make it very clear to the ACC members that either they accept Pakistan’s hybrid proposal or the PCB will not take part in the competition this year if it is moved from Pakistan," the PCB source was quoted as saying by IndiaTV.

Sethi is clear now no Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, no Pakistan team in Asia Cup: PCB Source

Furthermore, the source disclosed that Sethi is not willing to wait anymore over the finalization of the venues for the Asia Cup and if Pakistan doesn’t get the hosting rights, they will not participate in the tournament.

“Apparently, Sethi has now realized that it is time for some hard decisions and is not willing to accept any more delays from the ACC on the finalization of venues and schedule for the Asia Cup. Sethi is clear now no Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, no Pakistan team in Asia Cup," the source added.

India and Pakistan last played a bilateral series in 2012-13 and have since only faced off in multinational tournaments such as Asia Cup or World Cups. India last travelled to Pakistan for Asia Cup 2008, after which the 26/11 Mumbai attacks sabotaged the relationship between the two nations. Cricket fans from both nations would hope that two boards reach a middle ground in the coming weeks and they will get to see mouthwatering battles between both countries in both Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.