As the Rohit Sharma-led side won’t be visiting Pakistan, the highly anticipated India versus Pakistan matches in the forthcoming Asia Cup will be played in Sri Lanka, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal announced on Wednesday.
Along with BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Dhumal is now in Durban for the ICC Chief Executives Meet on Thursday.
Shah met with PCB representative head Zaka Ashraf to negotiate the Asia Cup schedule, the IPL chairman confirmed.
The Asia Cup programme was finalised and is proceeding as planned when our secretary met with PCB head Zaka Ashraf. There will be four league stage games played in Pakistan, then nine league stage games, including an India versus Pakistan game and a third game if both teams advance to the final, will be played in Sri Lanka, Dhumal told PTI.
Dhumal denied media claims that India would visit its neighbour, contrary to what Pakistan’s sports minister Ehsan Mazari had said.
“Such a talk wasn’t held. Contrary to rumours that have surfaced, neither India nor our secretary will be visiting Pakistan. Only the schedule was decided upon, Dhumal continued.
Like the 2010 match, India will most likely meet Pakistan in Dambulla.
The sole home game for Pakistan will be against the underdog Nepal.
Bangladesh vs. Sri Lanka, Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka vs. Afghanistan are the other three matches.
Pakistan’s sports minister, Mazari, was recently quoted as suggesting that Pakistan would not go to India for the ODI World Cup unless India came to Pakistan for the Asia Cup.
Perhaps the Pakistani sports minister was “blissfully unaware” of past Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meetings when the all-powerful executive committee had approved the hybrid model proposed
by former chairman Najam Sethi, according to a senior BCCI official.
“We have no worries about what is going on within PCB. The only thing we are aware of is that PCB is a signatory to the hybrid model, which was put forth by their representative and approved by the ACC’s highest body, the ACC’s board of directors, a senior member present at the meeting, informed PTI.
To refresh the memory of Pakistan’s honourable sports minister, he said, “PCB was the organisation that had officially released a press release accepting that 4 games will be held in Pakistan and the remaining games in Sri Lanka.”
The ICC’s Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA), which the full members signed in 2015 for an eight-year period ending in 2023, binds the PCB in terms of the World Cup.
“Once you have signed an MPA, you are legally required to take part in an ICC event at a location selected by the world organisation. Of course, safety precautions and other deciding considerations are always taken into consideration. However, there could be legal and financial repercussions if a nation succeeds even if security is not a concern, the ICC member said.
For the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held in Pakistan, the same MPA does not apply.
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