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  • PCB’s hybrid model under discussion as Pankaj Khimji and Jay Shah meet

    PCB’s hybrid model under discussion as Pankaj Khimji and Jay Shah meet

    After a strict warning from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is trying to find the best possible way to resolve the hosting matter for Asia Cup 2023.

    Najam Sethi warned ACC that Pakistan will stick to its stance if hosting rights will be compromised. More likely, Pakistan will boycott World Cup 2023 in India and will not play its matches in the arch-rival country, citing security concerns.


    After Sethi’s clear stance, ACC officials have now called a meeting. Jay Shah, President of ACC who is also secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will meet with the Vice-President ACC Pankaj Khimji today.

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has offered to host the Asia Cup in two phases, first in Pakistan and the other at a neutral venue which is said to be decided mutually.

    Khimji will meet Shah to give him a briefing on the second option of the hybrid model. Moreover, Khimji will also share the details of his meeting with Najam Sethi with Shah.

    After Bangladesh and Sri Lanka agreed on the second hybrid model via email, as per sources, PCB is confident of a final decision by ACC very soon. The second option of the hybrid model is most likely to be accepted.

    ACC is also likely to call a meeting of board members by the end of this month.

    It must be noted that BCCI has refused to send their team to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, which is set to take place in September this year, and is keen on ensuring that the event is held at a neutral venue. However, the PCB is not interested in hosting the event outside Pakistan since it would affect its efforts with regards to the return of international cricket in the country.

    Despite being considered one of sport’s greatest rivalries, India and Pakistan have not met on home soil in any version of the game since 2012, and only play each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.

  • ICC revenue model: Najam Sethi wants clarity before approval

    ICC revenue model: Najam Sethi wants clarity before approval

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are not happy with International Cricket Council (ICC) new revenue distribution model in which the game’s biggest financial engine India will get most of the shares.

    ICC has proposed a new revenue-sharing model for the 2024-27 cycle to be voted on at its next board meeting in June.

    According to reports, in the revenue model, India would claim 38.5 per cent, while England and Australia would pocket 6.89pc and 6.25pc respectively. Pakistan stands to earn 5.75pc of the ICC’s projected earnings, primarily from its media rights sale.

    The 12 full members of the ICC would collectively get 88.81pc, while the rest would be distributed among its 96 associate members.
    “We are not happy with the figures shared with us. We are insisting that the ICC should tell us how these figures were arrived at,” Sethi told Reuters from London.


    “Come June, when the board is expected to approve the financial model, unless these details are provided to us, we are not going to approve it,” he stated.


    Disney Star shelled out $3 billion last year to acquire the 2024-27 media rights for the Indian market.


    Sethi said that we asked ICC to explain how the finance and commercial affairs committee headed by Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah determined the share.


    This despite the fact that all nations will get more money and despite that PCB is not happy with the model, two other test playing nations are also unsatisfied with the biased model.


    The ICC, which considered factors such as the performance of a country’s men’s and women’s teams and their contribution to the ICC’s commercial revenue, was not immediately available to comment.

    “In principle, India should get more, there is no doubt about that but … how is this table being developed?” Sethi asked

    The proposed revenue split has become a major talking point in world cricket, which is already facing a rapidly altering landscape because of the Indian-driven rise of franchise-based leagues.

    Former England captain Mike Atherton, writing in The Times newspaper on Monday, criticised the “flawed” model, which he feared would only deepen the game’s existing inequality.

    “If that distribution comes to pass, then the strong will get stronger, the weak weaker (relatively) and international cricket will continue to become less competitive — which is in nobody’s long-term interest,” Atherton wrote.

  • ‘Is he mentally stable or not’: Ramiz Raja slams Sethi’s proposal for England to be Asia Cup host

    ‘Is he mentally stable or not’: Ramiz Raja slams Sethi’s proposal for England to be Asia Cup host

    Former Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has slammed current head of the Board, Najam Sethi, on the issue of Asia Cup 2023 hosting country.

    Sethi is trying to solve the Asia Cup hosting issue amicably with Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Jay Shah, President of ACC and also Secretary of BCCI, has been accused of being biased and creating hurdles for Pakistan’s hosting rights of Asia Cup.
    “England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Sethi said in an interview with BBC.

    Ramiz Raja expressed anger on the statement, raising questions about the mental health of the PCB chairman. “The whole purpose of Asia Cup right before the World Cup is to let the teams get used to Asian conditions.

    I was shocked to hear the Chairman PCB saying it would be great to see the Asia Cup being played at Lord’s. Is he mentally stable or not?” Raja questioned.

    Raja also said that it makes him angry when the chairman is saying that Pakistan Super League (PSL 9) will be conducted in UAE because of taxation issues in Pakistan.


    “On one side you are saying Pakistan is safe for cricket regarding Asia Cup and on the other hand you are saying PSL 9 will be conducted in UAE, what type of perspective are you trying to give, are you out of your mind,” Ramiz Raja asked.

    Former cricketer Salman Butt also took a dig on Sethi’s statement of hosting Asia Cup in England:
    “A neutral venue like this [England] is not viable for Asia Cup, it will not make sense as it will mean that there is not a single venue in Asia where it could be held.”
    “You can include England in it and make it Euro-Asia Cup. You can also give this suggestion. In the past, Austral-Asia Cup used to take place in which Australia participated.

    You can also include Ireland and Netherlands in it. It would be a World Cup-like event, as it will have six teams from Asia and four countries from Europe, so it will be a ten-team tournament. It will be a dress rehearsal for World Cup,” the former Pakistan opener said.

    He also added, “You can come up with as many ideas as possible but you also have to see what is practically possible.”

  • Asia Cup 2023: Hybrid model? Bangladesh and Sri Lanka say okay

    Asia Cup 2023: Hybrid model? Bangladesh and Sri Lanka say okay

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has proposed a hybrid model twice meetings with Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

    Pakistan has now gotten green signal from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka for the second proposal of the hybrid model in which the first four matches will be played in Pakistan and the rest of the tournament will be played in a neutral venue.

    According to reports, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka cricket boards have emailed PCB that they have no issues with the proposed model.

    PCB has proposed two options in the hybrid model. The first option says that India shall play their respective matches at a neutral venue while all other matches will be played in Pakistan, as originally planned.

    The second option says that the initial four matches of the group stage in the primary phase of the tournament shall be played in Pakistan. Moreover, the next phase, including matches of India and finals, are to be played at a neutral venue.

    There is a larger probability and a higher success ratio for the second option to be locked. In that scenario, Pakistan will play their group stage match against Nepal on home ground. Likewise, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will also be playing their pool matches in Pakistan.

    There is a chance that ACC will call a crucial and final meeting this week to discuss the hybrid model.

    Previously, the chairman of PCB, Najam Sethi, gave a straight-up warning of pulling out from Asia Cup 2023 in case the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doesn’t end up affirming the hybrid model.

    For this very reason, a meeting has been called by ACC, incorporating all members of the council to discuss the hybrid model.


    Jay Shah, ACC President, and also the secretary of BCCI, is the son of Amit Shah, a powerful BJP leader. BCCI initially influenced other teams to back off from playing in Pakistan and BCCI started planning their own five nation version of Asia Cup excluding Pakistan.


    But this all seems to have gone in vain because official broadcasters did not want to exclude Pakistan from the tournament.


    Keeping in mind that earlier, BCCI refuted the idea of sending their team to Pakistan for this year’s Asia Cup and kept on stressing that the entire tournament should be held at a neutral venue.

    On the contrary, PCB is adamant about hosting the event in their territory, at least some part of it; otherwise, it would waive off all the efforts made in order to summon international cricket back to the country.

    Pakistan and India are known arch-rivals based on their historical grounds – fans from both ends of the borders anticipate their face-off on the cricket field with eagerness and excitement.

    However, it’s no less than unfortunate that both the national teams haven’t played each other on home soil in any format of the game since 2012.

  • Solve Asia Cup issue amicably if you want to become ICC chief in the future: Najam Sethi advises Jay Shah

    Solve Asia Cup issue amicably if you want to become ICC chief in the future: Najam Sethi advises Jay Shah

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi has shown concerns about the biased attitude of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Chairman Jay Shah who is also the secretary of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

    Sethi said that if the ACC chairman wants to become the head of International cr Cricket Council (ICC) than he has to solve Asia Cup’s issue amicably.

    Jay Shah is the secretary of BCCI and also son of powerful BJP leader Amit Shah. He has refused to send the Indian team to Pakistan to play Asia Cup 2023, saying that the Indian Government is not allowing them to play in Pakistan.

    The excuse is childish and hypocritical because India has sent many other sports teams to Pakistan. If the Indian cricket team has security concerns then why is Indian government allowing other teams to travel in Pakistan, asked Najam Sethi in a BBC podcast.

    He advised the ACC president to be neutral and solve the matter amicably.

    “I think Jay [Shah] is a young man, he aspires to be the head of the ICC,” Sethi told Associated Press (AP). “My advice to my young friend would be if you want to be a leader, you have to keep the herd together, keep the flock together.

    “Don’t let it be said that when you were in the chair in the ACC, the ACC broke up.”

    Najam Sethi also said that we will always be on the helping side for Asian countries.
    “When Aussies pulled out against Afghanistan, we said to them that we will play a series with you and you will get some money from the series,” Sethi remarked.

    We do not have any issues with any team in Asia neither they have any issues with us, he said, adding that its just India.


    He also spoke about the hybrid model for the Asia Cup, which would allow India to play their matches at a neutral venue while the rest of the tournament takes place in Pakistan.

    “Until India is ready to play Pakistan bilaterally and in Pakistan, let’s have a hybrid solution,” he said.

  • ‘Kaptaan, aap larae jeet gaye’; celebrities congratulate Khan on being set free

    ‘Kaptaan, aap larae jeet gaye’; celebrities congratulate Khan on being set free

    After the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the cricket fraternity came together to support the ex-cricketer. Khan was one of the greatest all-rounder of the cricket and mentored such players las Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzimam UL Haq and Aqib Javed.

    Former fast bowler Waqar Younis tweeted right after Imran Khan’s release and congratulated him.

    “Won the fight but long way from winning the War. Congratulations Skipper @ImranKhanPTI ALLAH pak aap ko apna hifzoimaan main rakha #Ameen #PakistanZindabad “

    A day earlier, the PTI chairman got blanket relief from the IHC as authorities have been barred from arresting the deposed prime minister in any case till Monday morning (May 15).

    In the first relief, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court barred authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly protests.

    Then, he sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case, then, another bench barred authorities from arresting the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.

    Khan was arrested in a corruption case involving a property tycoon. The former prime minister had immediately approached the high court for release but it had declared his arrest “legal”.

    However, the apex court released him on May 11 after concluding that he was taken into custody in violation of rules by law enforcement agencies.

    Since being ousted from office last April, Khan has waged a tempestuous campaign for snap elections and fired unprecedented criticism at the coalition government and military who he blames for pulling him from power.

    He has accused senior military and government officials of plotting a November assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg during a rally.

  • ‘We do not have much time to waste anymore’: Najam Sethi asks ACC to decide

    ‘We do not have much time to waste anymore’: Najam Sethi asks ACC to decide

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi has disclosed the crux of his recent meeting with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials and the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2023.

    In BBC’s podcast ‘Stumped’, PCB Chairman Najam Sethi said that they had proposed a Hybrid Model a month ago to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in which India will play their matches outside Pakistan and the rest of the teams will play their matches in Pakistan. “If India and Pakistan will meet in the final, we will play it at the neutral venue,” he said.

    BCCI secretary and ACC Chairman Jay Shah rejected the proposal by raising questions about logistics.

    “We have made it clear to them that it is we who decide where India can play their matches. If Sri Lanka suits us, we will choose Sri Lanka, but most probably we are prioritizing Dubai. First they have to consider and accept Hybrid Model then further talks begin,” Najam Sethi elaborated.

    That sounds negotiable, the Podcast host said.

    The PCB Chairman then said that they have proposed a revised version of ‘hybrid model’ in the recent meeting held twos days ago with ACC officials, in which the first four matches will be played in Pakistan and then the whole tournament will be shifted to Dubai.

    The ACC then raised a question about the possiblity of travel between two countries with all the crew and equipment.
    Sethi clarified that the teams have to come Pakistan just once.

    The podcaster asked Sethi how long it will take to negotiate, to which he replied, “Look, we only have three months left and we have to prepare. We have to selects the venues, we have to do arrangements for broadcasters. ACC have already wasted too much time, time is running out. ACC have to take a decision now”

    Najam Sethi also said that the World Cup is coming up, and if India does not come to Pakistan, our government will not allow Pakistan to travel to India.

    “If they don’t, why would we? Security risks are on both side,” Sethi concluded.

  • ‘Pakistan hai, to hum hain’: Shaheen Afridi changes DP to picture with Imran Khan

    ‘Pakistan hai, to hum hain’: Shaheen Afridi changes DP to picture with Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Ex-Captain of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup victory Imran Khan got arrested on the May 9 from inside the Islamabad High Court.

    Soon after his arrest, protests broke out across the country, resulting in clashes between followers of his party and law-enforcement agencies.

    Along with being a politician, Imran Khan is also a former fast bowler, considered one of the greatest in the game.

    His inspiration on many fast bowlers is quite evident, with his exceptional pace and ability to swing the ball both ways.


    No second opinions, no disputes, and no doubts about the fact that Khan was one of the most prominent cricketers of his time.

    Cricket fraternity has come out in support of Imran Khan with Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s ace fast bowler, changing his Twitter profile picture to one in which he is sitting with Khan.


    “Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,
    ‘Momino ki apas me aik dosre se mohabbat or hamdardi ki misaal aik jism ki tarah hai.
    Jab uska koi hissa takleef me hota hai, to sara jism us takleef ko mehsoos kerta hai.’
    Bus ye yad rakhna hai k Pakistan hai, to hum hain,” he wrote in a tweet.

  • India wants the whole Asia Cup tournament shifted to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka agrees

    India wants the whole Asia Cup tournament shifted to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka agrees

    Sri Lanka is now one of the strongest contenders to host Asia Cup 2023 as the recent meeting of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman with the Vice-President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Pankhaj Khimji seems to have not gone as well as was expected.

    According to a report, PCB Chief Najam Sethi met with ACC officials on Tuesday, May 9, where it was decided that Pakistan would pull out of the tournament because their proposal of hosting it in the UAE was not accepted.


    Asia Cup is scheduled for September this year, but the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, who is also the President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had threatened that the Indian government would not allow their team to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns.

    Regardless of the current political crisis in Pakistan, the country has just concluded a New Zealand series in peace. Yet Indian media and BCCI officials have based their decision to not send their team to Pakistan on security concerns.

    In the recent meeting with Jay Shah and ACC officials, Najam Sethi proposed a revised ‘Hybrid Model’ in which four teams Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh will play their matches in Pakistan and then all the teams along with Pakistan will move to Dubai to play the whole tournament.

    ACC officials straight away rejected the proposal by raising questions about logistics, asking how broadcasters will travel between the two countries with all the crew and equipment.

    Sethi reply was that they only had to travel to Pakistan only once and then will go to Dubai.

    ACC officials said that ahead of World Cup they cannot take the risk and that weather conditions are not suitable in Dubai for playing cricket.
    Sethi reportedly pointed out that the BCCI held IPL 2020 in Dubai and also in the same season.


    An ultimatum on the matter is expected by the end of this month. Should the decision go against Pakistan, the country’s status as a participant in the Cup would be up in the air, with a boycott being likely in that event.

  • Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka aligns with India to exclude Pakistan from Asia Cup?

    Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka aligns with India to exclude Pakistan from Asia Cup?

    Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in September 2023 but the event remains mired in doubts with India trying to derail the tournament. Pakistan has the official rights of hosting Asia Cup but Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not ready to send its cricket team to the host country.

    The world has witnessed that many international teams have visited Pakistan to play matches.


    A series with New Zealand was recently concluded, in which both teams played five T20I and five One-Day International (ODI) in the different cities of Pakistan but BCCI still has concerns.


    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has presented a Hybrid Model in which India play their matches in Dubai, or more likely, in Sri Lanka.

    However, the BCCI has expressed dissatisfaction with this proposal. Currently, Sethi is in Dubai, where he met with ICC officials on Tuesday.

    He was scheduled to meet with Pankaj Khimji, Deputy President of the Asian Council, and cricket officials from the UAE to discuss the possibility of hosting India’s matches in the UAE under the ‘Hybrid Model.’

    The PCB is concerned that if the Asia Cup is not held now, the same issue may arise during the hosting of the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the ICC may decide to relocate the event if India does not participate.

    Therefore, under the proposed model, the Indian cricket team’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in Bangladesh. Currently, there is a tense stand-off between Pakistani and Indian officials, with India allegedly using its media to its advantage.

    The BCCI has also collaborated with Sri Lanka, convincing them to play two additional matches, as they have been eager to host the Asia Cup for some time now. In response, Pakistan has reminded Afghanistan that they recently played additional matches in Sharjah, and they stand with the PCB on this matter.


    While there are concerns about the heat in Dubai, efforts are being made to convince Bangladesh to cooperate, and they are reportedly willing to do so.

    PCB officials have publicly stated that “we have earned a substantial amount of money due to the PSL, and therefore, the Asia Cup’s cancellation would not be a significant concern for them.”

    In reality, the Pakistani authorities aim to avoid financial losses and prioritize preparations for the upcoming World Cup.


    Several news reports regarding the Asia Cup were circulating in the Indian media yesterday. One report claimed that “the members have rejected the PCB’s ‘Hybrid Model’ and moved the event from Pakistan.”

    However, an official representative from the PCB, who was in contact with an Indian Express representative, dismissed these reports as baseless and an attempt by the BCCI to increase pressure.

    He stated that the ACC has not officially denied accepting the ‘Hybrid Model’ proposed by the PCB, and discussions are still ongoing. The official further added that unverified news from unnamed sources is not credible.