The official schedule of the ICC ODI World Cup to be held in India may have to wait longer. The ICC had all but set the date of June 27 for the schedule announcement. Exactly 100 days after this date, the tournament was supposed to start from October 5, but Zaka Ashraf, the possible new Chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has indicated to wait and prolong it with his statement.
The Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) and the ICC had planned to announce the schedule in a big way on June 27. But Zaka Ashraf made it clear in his statement that there are many issues that need to be resolved before participating in this mega-event. At the same time, Zaka Ashraf has also ruled out hosting the Asian Cup under the hybrid model.
Zaka Ashraf told the press conference that Pakistan faces many challenges. Many years the cases have to be solved. Now it’s the Asian Cup and then the World Cup. There are many topics ranging from team preparations. I don’t want to make any statement against anyone. I have not yet held this position. Once I take responsibility, after that I will see what the circumstances are. I don’t believe in hiding anything from the media. We all work for the betterment of Pakistan.
In order to participate in the ODI World Cup, Pakistan can request that its matches be held elsewhere than India. ICC and BCCI will not accept your claim at any cost. At the same time, due to Zaka Ashraf’s attitude towards the Asian Cup, the relationship between BCCI and PCB is likely to deteriorate further. Previously, Pakistan had demanded to change the venue for the matches against Australia and Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup. This was also rejected by the ICC.