Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Sunday that ICC Chairman Greg Barclay and Chief Executive Geoff Allardice will arrive in Lahore Tuesday morning on a two-day visit.
The PCB added that during their visit to Lahore, they will meet Chair of the PCB Management Committee Najam Sethi (also an ICC Director), PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer and other board officials.
The visit by top ICC executives comes at a time when over the last few months, multiple reports have claimed that the 2023 Asia Cup could be held in a hybrid model of staging matches, something which has also been proposed by Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi.
It meant that the deadlock over hosting and organising this year’s tournament is yet to be resolved, especially with Pakistan being the host of the 2023 edition of the competition and India not travelling to the country due to political tensions between the two neighbours.
It is also believed that Pakistan could also ask for its matches in the ‘023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, to be hosted by India in October-November, to be played in a hybrid model if India doesn’t travel to the country for Asia Cup.
In the Asia Cup, India and Pakistan have been grouped together alongside Nepal in the six-team Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format in preparation for the ODI World Cup.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are the sides in the other group. The top two teams from each group advance to the Super Four stage and from there, the top two teams play in the final.
While Allardice has regularly visited Pakistan, first as ICC General Manager – Cricket and then as Chief Executive, this will be Barclay’s first visit to Pakistan. Barclay will be the first ICC Chairman to tour Pakistan since ICC President Ray Mali’s visit in 2008. This will also be the first time since October 2004 that the top two ICC officials will together visit the Pakistan cricket headquarters.
IANS
