LAHORE-Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Muhammad Zaka Ashraf has voiced his disagreement with the proposed hybrid mannequin for internet hosting the Asia Cup 2023. As an alternative, he advocates for Pakistan to host your complete event and means that India ought to abstain from taking part if they’ve reservations about taking part in right here.
Whereas Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal have expressed their help for Pakistan’s hybrid mannequin, Zaka rejected this method. He questioned the rationale behind offering India the chance to play at a impartial venue when main cricketing nations like Australia, New Zealand, and England have already visited Pakistan, having fun with profitable collection with none points.
“If India has reservations about taking part in in Pakistan, they need to select to remain at residence whereas we’ll full the occasion with the opposite 4 nations. Now we have beforehand emerged victorious within the Asia Cup twice, as soon as throughout my tenure and as soon as earlier than me. Subsequently, our focus ought to be on thorough preparation for the event, aiming to finish the hat-trick of Asia Cup titles,” he emphasised.
The previous PCB chief additional criticized the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for failing to anticipate the issues India may elevate concerning taking part in in Pakistan when awarding the internet hosting rights for Asia Cup 2023. He attributed this failure to the PCB’s incapacity to successfully foyer for the occasion and negotiate with taking part nations, together with India. He insisted that the PCB ought to stay dedicated to their stance on internet hosting the Asia Cup in Pakistan.
When questioned about whether or not Pakistan ought to take part within the ICC Males’s World Cup 2023 in India, Zaka responded, “Why not? We should play there and keep away from adopting a cowardly method. Politics mustn’t overshadow sports activities; we should always deal with sports activities as sports activities. Regardless of India taking part in politics in cricket, we should always rise above it and concentrate on thorough preparation for the World Cup. We should choose gamers based mostly on advantage and health to reinforce our probabilities of successful the mega occasion.”
Addressing the question about hiring international coaches for the Pakistan cricket group, the ex-PCB chairman mentioned: “There’s nothing incorrect with availing the companies of international coaches, however we should appoint a full-time coach who can dedicate ample time to our gamers and practice them to fulfill worldwide requirements. Nonetheless, it isn’t advisable to educate the nationwide group by way of tablets or social media apps.”
Expressing his admiration for the Pakistan Tremendous League (PSL) and its high quality, Zaka mentioned, “The PSL has change into a model. I conceived the thought of the PSL, which was efficiently executed throughout Najam Sethi’s tenure. The nationwide and worldwide cricket communities witnessed high-quality matches within the PSL, particularly throughout PSL 8, which was a powerful spectacle for passionate cricket followers. The PSL has additionally been a prolific supply of expertise for the nationwide group, though these gamers might face challenges in excelling in ODIs and Check cricket over an prolonged interval.”
“As everyone seems to be conscious, cricket flourished throughout my tenure, notably in membership, home, first-class, and girls’s cricket. If I take over as soon as once more as PCB chairman, I’ll try to raise Pakistan cricket to new heights. Reviving membership cricket and elevating the usual of ladies’s cricket shall be our major focus. In the end, meticulous planning and devoted efforts will contribute to the promotion of cricket all through the nation,” Zaka concluded.