ICC chairman and CEO to go to Pakistan with World Cup participation as chief agenda
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 principle a part of the discussions. The journey is a part of a collection of normal visits to Full Members.
Given the tense relations between India and Pakistan, PCB head Najam Sethi instructed there’s a “distinct possibility” that the Pakistan authorities won’t permit Pakistan to journey to India. The World Cup schedule is to be announced throughout the World Test Championship remaining 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 model 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 – might be performed at a impartial venue.
Although Pakistan are formally the hosts of the event, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is but to present a inexperienced sign for the event to be held as proposed by the PCB. However, heads of the India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan boards are to satisfy throughout the IPL remaining 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’s something that is ongoing at the moment. Greg and Geoff are in Pakistan at the moment (landing Tuesday morning), discussing a number of areas with the PCB hierarchy,” Wasim stated. “That is certainly up to the two countries and the hierarchy within the ICC to discuss and come 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 might be within the nation for 2 days, throughout which a spread of subjects might be on the desk, together with the ICC’s finance mannequin and deliberations round Pakistan internet hosting the Champions Trophy in February 2025. It is known that Barclay additionally visited India earlier than his journey to Pakistan.
Last yr, Pakistan had earned the appropriate to host their first ICC occasion since 1996 after they had co-hosted the World Cup together with India and Sri Lanka. While 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 group in early 2009 then took away Pakistan’s internet hosting rights of the 2011 World Cup.
However, 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 towards India have taken place solely throughout ICC and ACC occasions.
Meanwhile, the PCB can be prone to take up its issues with the ICC relating to the latter’s proposed revenue-distribution model. Although 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.
But Sethi stated his board won’t approve the mannequin except it’s offered 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%.