ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will both visit Pakistan’s Lahore city next week, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Sunday, with both sides likely to discuss the Asia Cup standoff between India and Pakistan.
Pakistan are hosts of this year’s Asia Cup but with India declining to travel to the country due to political reasons, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is looking at other alternatives. While the PCB has presented a “hybrid” model to India, according to which four of the 13 Asia Cup matches will be played in Pakistan while the rest are played at another venue, a final decision has yet to be reached on the matter.
PCB Managing Committee Chair Najam Sethi has hinted Pakistan would withdraw from the 50-over ICC Men’s World Cup— to be hosted by India after the Asia Cup this year— if Pakistan loses the hosting rights to Asia Cup. The impasse between the two countries on the Asia Cup and the 50-over World Cup is likely to come up for discussion when the PCB and ICC officials meet on Tuesday.
“ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will arrive in Lahore on Tuesday morning on a two-day visit, during which they will meet Chair of the PCB Management Committee Mr.Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director), PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials,” the PCB said in a statement.
The board said that while Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan during his previous stint as the ICC general manager-cricket and then as ICC chief executive, it would be Barclay’s first visit to the South Asian country.
“Mr Barclay will be the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008,” the PCB said. “This will also be the first time since October 2004 when both the top two ICC officials will together visit the Pakistan cricket headquarters.”
Separately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah, who is also the ACC’s chair, confirmed that Asia Cup venue talks would be held with the presidents of the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan cricket board presidents during the IPL final on Sunday.
However, according to an ESPNcricinfo story, a final decision on the Asia Cup will only be taken by the ACC in coordination with PCB.
