Islamabad: Amid the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) tussle over the appointment of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, the interim setup’s chief Najam Sethi has stated that he does not wish to get involved in the controversy. Speaking to the media in Lahore on Friday, Sethi said he will accept any decision taken by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who is also PCB's patron.

"I have heard speculations surrounding the PCB chairmanship. I don't get involved in this matter because it depends on the patron," he said. "Our responsibility was to restore the 2014 constitution. At this point, we are ready for elections with regional and departmental representatives on board. We are waiting for two nominees after which I will announce the election. "If you ask me, I don't want a mess. If the patron and Zardari sahab want me to continue, I will be okay with it. If they want Zaka sahab to become the chairman, I would welcome their decision and leave," he added. The PCB chairman’s appointment has become a bone of contention between the ruling coalition government’s PPP and PML-N. The PPP wants former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf to return to the post while PML-N wants Sethi to continue his job at the PCB. PPP's stance on the matter is that since its minister heads the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division and PCB is related to the ministry, its chairman should be appointed by the party. In the press conference, Sethi also confirmed that the national team will play at least two Asia Cup 2023 matches at home.

Following the Asian Cricket Council (ACC)'s announcement of accepting the PCB-proposed hybrid model for the Asia Cup, fans were curious to know the schedule of the event. According to the ACC, Pakistan will host four matches before the Asian event moves to Sri Lanka for the remaining nine matches. Since India will play their matches in Sri Lanka, Pakistan's only group match in their country could be against Nepal. The other three matches in Pakistan are likely to be played in the second group which features Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan.

Now, the PCB head Sethi has also confirmed that the host country will play at least two matches at the home venue. "Pakistan will play at least two matches at home. We are figuring this out, let's wait and watch until we finalise the schedule," he told reporters during the press conference in Lahore today. Asia Cup, in two phases, will be played from August 31 to September 17 in a 50-over format. Nepal will be playing its first-ever Asian event. This tournament will help the Asian teams prepare for the ICC World Cup in India.

Last year, the BCCI refused to travel to Pakistan for Asia Cup on political grounds.

To save the event's hosting rights, the PCB offered two options in the hybrid model. In the first option, India was asked to play their matches at a neutral venue whereas all other matches were to be played in Pakistan. In another option, four matches of the group stage in the first phase were proposed to be played in Pakistan whereas the second phase, in which matches of the Indian team followed by the next stage matches including the final, were to be played at a neutral venue. The second option of the hybrid model was accepted on Thursday.

Published in The Daily National Courier, June, 17 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.