ICC chairman
Greg Barclay and CEO
Geoff Allardice are set to go to Pakistan on Tuesday, with the nation’s participation within the World Cup in India in October-November this yr anticipated to be the primary a part of the discussions. The journey is a part of a sequence of normal visits to Full Members.
Given the tense relations between India and Pakistan, PCB head Najam Sethi steered there’s a “distinct chance” that the Pakistan authorities is not going to permit Pakistan to journey to India. The World Cup schedule is
to be introduced throughout the World Take a look at Championship closing which begins at The Oval from June 7, though there continues to be uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation within the event.
That arose when India refused to journey to Pakistan for the Asia Cup to be held in September, and neither agreed to the
PCB’s proposed hybrid mannequin that may see solely 4 out of 13 Asia Cup matches to be performed in Pakistan. As per that proposal, the remaining 9 matches – together with the ultimate – will likely be performed at a impartial venue.
Though Pakistan are formally the hosts of the event, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is but to provide a inexperienced sign for the event to be held as proposed by the PCB. Nevertheless, heads of the India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan boards are to satisfy throughout the IPL closing in Ahmedabad for casual
discussions on the Asia Cup.
Wasim Khan, the ICC’s basic supervisor of cricket, stated on Monday that the discussions between India and Pakistan on this matter are nonetheless “ongoing”.
“That is one thing that’s ongoing for the time being. Greg and Geoff are in Pakistan for the time being (touchdown Tuesday morning), discussing quite a few areas with the PCB hierarchy,” Wasim stated. “That’s definitely as much as the 2 nations and the hierarchy throughout the ICC to debate and are available to some conclusions.”
Barclay and Allardice’s go to to Pakistan would be the first by high-ranked ICC officers for the reason that then-president Ray Mali’s go to in 2008. They are going to be within the nation for 2 days, throughout which a spread of matters will likely be on the desk, together with the ICC’s finance mannequin and deliberations round Pakistan internet hosting the Champions Trophy in February 2025. It’s understood that Barclay additionally visited India earlier than his journey to Pakistan.
Final yr,
Pakistan had earned the fitting to host their first ICC occasion since 1996 after they had co-hosted the World Cup together with India and Sri Lanka. Whereas Pakistan was initially speculated to host the Champions Trophy in 2008, the event was postponed to 2009 for safety causes, just for South Africa to finally host it in September-October that yr. Thereafter, an assault on the visiting Sri Lanka crew in early 2009 then took away Pakistan’s internet hosting rights of the 2011 World Cup.
Nevertheless, Pakistan have been again to staging worldwide cricket over the previous few years and have hosted South Africa, Australia, England and New Zealand for full excursions, at the same time as matches in opposition to India have taken place solely throughout ICC and ACC occasions.
In the meantime, the PCB can be prone to take up its issues with the ICC relating to the latter’s
proposed revenue-distribution mannequin. Though the mannequin is but to be finalised, it’s anticipated to be authorised by June, earlier than being formally adopted on the ICC’s AGM in Durban in July.
However Sethi stated his board is not going to approve the mannequin except it’s introduced with extra particulars of the workings behind it. From the proposed mannequin, the BCCI is predicted to obtain 38.5% of the ICC’s annual projected earnings of US $600 million, with the PCB to get a a lot decrease share of solely 5.75%.
