Cricket Politics – Newspaper – DAWN.COM

Unfortunately, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Najam Sethis’s warning of Pakistan boycotting the World Cup if it is not allowed to host the Asia Cup as planned has so far gone unheeded. India, which has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, has remained silent. Sethi says he has not heard from Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah, who is also secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. , in relation to the matter. The International Cricket Council has also been silent. The ACC plans to move the Asia Cup to a neutral venue. The situation will turn into a major crisis if it is not addressed soon. Pakistan has proposed a hybrid model to allow India to play its matches in the UAE. However, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are opposed to the model, forcing the PCB to propose the Pakistanis to host the first four matches before the tournament moves to the United Arab Emirates. However, the PCB has said it expects India to adopt the same approach towards Pakistan when it hosts the World Cup later this year with Pakistan playing at a neutral venue. The confrontation threatens to continue; five months before the start of the World Cup, the schedule has not yet been announced. The ICC claims it will be revealed when the Indian Premier League season ends.

ICC’s silence makes matters worse. As the governing body of world cricket, it should intervene. But as its proposed funding model for the next season shows, the ICC remains heavily dependent on India, which is set to receive nearly 40 percent of the ICC’s revenue from 2024 to 2027, along with Pakistan. get a little less than 6 pcs. Matches between the rivals generate a huge amount of cash for the ICC. The Council should understand the position of Pakistanis in the game and ensure that the sport does not suffer because of India-Pakistan politics.

Published in Dawn on May 17, 2023