‘If India wants a neutral venue for Asia Cup, we want the same for the World Cup’

PCB chief Najam Sethi says the Asia Cup can be staged in a hybrid model, which he also proposes for the World Cup to be hosted in India. In an exclusive interview with Sandeep Dwivedi, he also raises questions over Ahmedabad as possible venue for India-Pakan World Cup game
Question: What is the official word on the Asia Cup?
We are waiting for Mr Jay Shah and the other colleagues to make a final decision. Whether or not they accept the hybrid model that we proposed. And as soon as that issue is resolved, we can tackle the issue of where to play the neutral matches.
Question: Has ACC zeroed in on any venue outside Pakan?
No, we haven’t made a decision. I think the best thing would be for us to all sit together and decide on a mutually acceptable venue. So, no decision has yet been taken about whether it will be the UAE or Sri Lanka, or it could be a third venue. We don’t know. But I think we cross that bridge when we come to it. The first question is: Will the hybrid model be acceptable? In case ACC inss that all the games are to be held at one venue, we shall not play the Asia Cup.
Question: What exactly is the hybrid model?
All the teams (other than India) that are scheduled to play Pakan, play four matches in Pakan. And after that, get into a plane and go off to the neutral venue where we play the rest of the matches. We have given a schedule that will take care of all the logical problems and there should not be any opposition to that.

Question: What about broadcasting? Will there be two teams?
We do the PSL for over 35-40 days and we have two production teams going round the country. So it’s not a problem. If Star is not able to send the production team across, we have our own production team which is of the highest quality.
Q: Why the insence on a hybrid model? How important is it for you to hold matches in Pakan?
You see this is unfortunately where politics has come into sport. We have not had a good experience with the commitments that the BCCI has made in the past. And I will take you there very briefly. There’s a strong public opinion, including that of the government, that whatever happens, there must be reciprocity. We have travelled to India twice since 2008, but India has not come to Pakan. We didn’t object because we thought yes, it’s true the security situation in Pakan is a problem. But in recent times, all cricketing nations have come to Pakan. India is the only country that still refuses to come to Pakan, but it cannot cite security as an issue anymore. So, we would like to have a reciprocal arrangement.
Going ahead, will reciprocity be seen at ICC events?
If for one political reason or another, the BCCI is unable to come to Pakan, especially when we are the hosts and all the other countries are ready to play in Pakan, I think reciprocity demands that we say the same thing to India – ‘If you’re not going to come to Pakan, we are not going to go to India’. That’s the way it is now.
Question: There is the World Cup in India, Champions Trophy later in Pakan…
The hybrid model is a perfect solution for the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. If India now wants to have a neutral venue and accepts the hybrid model, we’ll use the same hybrid model in the World Cup. Pakan can play its World cup matches in Dhaka or any other venue to which India agrees. Similarly in the Champions Trophy, all the other countries can come and play in Pakan but India can play at a neutral venue. So this is a model that goes forward and resolves this political logjam.

Question: Does this mean cricket adminrators in Pakan and India should give up on planning games across the border, since they have no control over these things?
No. As far as ICC is concerned, don’t forget that playing in India is very important. India is the biggest market and it’s Indian broadcasters who pick up the tab for it. Gate receipts are important and so are eyeballs, so that is one of the reasons why ICC wants to go and play games in India, and I totally support that. It’s not a question of hiding our heads in the sand and saying we have a problem. We must find a solution and the solution is India has to come and play in Pakan, and that’s the end of the matter. Now, let me explain. The Indian bridge, volleyball and kabaddi teams have visited Pakan. So, what’s the problem with the Indian cricket team coming to Pakan?My suspicion is that India is afraid of losing to Pakan in India and India is afraid of losing to Pakan in Pakan.
Question: Do you think the push cricket boards for bilateral (Indo-Pak) cricket is missing? Are cricket boards politicised?
I think so. Let me take you back to 2014. One of the conditions of Pakan signing on the dotted line regarding the Big 3 formula was that the BCCI agreed to play a series of matches with us in 2015 in Dubai. We signed a contract. Then when 2015 came around, the BCCI pulled out and said: ‘We can’t do it’. They cited government pressure. Now here’s the problem. When we took the BCCI to court, that’s the argument that prevailed. Here’s the interesting point. We had the same government in India in 2014 when the BCCI signed this document. Which means that today, if India says: ‘Hey, let’s play in a neutral venue and next year, we’ll come to Pakan and play’, I have a problem believing that.
Question: Do you think like the case with the IOC where governments sign MoUs, cricket should also do the same?
I think so. We at PCB go to our government and persuade them to allow us to go to India. Then the government gives us this political argument that it has to be reciprocal. They say that if there is no reciprocity, we will be criticised our critics in Pakan. Similarly, the BCCI needs to stand up and go and tell the government that please don’t bring politics into it. This is just a game. Allow us to go to Pakan.
Question: How is your working relationship with Jay Shah? Do BCCI and PCB need a summit-level talk?
I get along famously with Jay Shah, we have no real issues, we’ve had long sessions. And we are very friendly. The only problem is that he never gives me a reason for not playing in Pakan. He just smiles and says: “Well, you know how the situation is. Let’s not discuss this. Let’s find other solutions’. Now this is a solution (hybrid model) I have found which is the compromise. I could have said we are not going to play the Asia Cup, forget about it. No hybrid model, you come and play or else we are not playing. I even said that if we end up playing India in the final, we’ll play at a neutral venue. For God’s sake, give us a face-saving honourable solution so that I can tell my people that we were the hosts and we have some matches here.
Question: It is said Pakan cricket lacks continuity; a change of government means change at PCB. With the arrest of Imran Khan, is the situation conducive for cricket?
It doesn’t affect cricket. The politics is happening in either parliament, courts or streets, it doesn’t affect cricket. We had a long extended tour with the New Zealanders in Pakan. PCB is stable. My predecessor Ramiz Raja also took the same position – if India’s not going to play in Pakan, we are not going to play in India. I have gone a step further to suggest that we only play four matches in Pakan, we play six or seven matches at the neutral venue. Now, let’s get over this. Let’s agree to follow the hybrid model.
Question: There are reports that the India-Pakan World Cup game is at Ahmedabad…
I’m glad you asked me this question. When I heard this statement, I smiled and said to myself – ‘this is one way to make sure we don’t come to India’. If you had said Chennai or Kolkata, it might have made sense. I don’t want to go into the politics of it but certainly there seems to be a political angle to this because if there’s one city where we might have security issues, it is Ahmedabad. The less said about that, the better. It certainly gave the impression that this is a red herring being thrown in our way to tell us – ‘hey, we are going to play you in Ahmedabad and you watch out’. You know, who rules Ahmedabad!
Question: Does your media background help you to be nuanced in making statements on India-Pakan cricket? The situation is fragile most times…
Absolutely right. In the last 7 to 10 days, there have been a lot of stories hitting the headlines in india. One story had the BCCI saying that we’ll have a five-nation tournament, which is nonsense because you cannot have a five-nation tournament. If it is not in the Asia Cup, it cannot be an ICC fixture and it cannot be outside. Number two, if it is an Asia Cup without Pakan, you can imagine what Star (Asia Cup broadcaster) will say. They are giving $48 million. There is no Asia Cup without Pakan. And if I may say so, Pakan, only three days ago, was the No.1 ODI team.

Question: India-Pakan games bring a lot of money to respective boards, but the irony is that they don’t play often. Can’t ICC step in and find a way so that they play each other more often?
Absolutely. It makes an imminent sense, but here’s the problem. The ICC is also ruled India and the BCCI. So, whatever policy the BCCI adopts, the ICC eventually rubber-stamps it. So really the change has to come from within the BCCI and the Indian government.
Question: Can’t ICC be more democratic? There is also this talk that India is now getting a bigger pie of the ICC cake …
There is a massive disparity. When I was there last time, there was the formula of the Big 3. But it was not as bad as the current formula that has been floated. India, instead of 22 percent of the net proceeds, is aiming to get nearly 40 per cent. It is a highly inequitable situation but at the end of the day, money talks. The broadcasters are Indians, the crowds are Indians, the eyeballs are Indians. So India has a case, that they need to get a larger pie of the cake. So I think at the end of the day, the change of attitude has to come from India. In the old days, we were talking about the Big 3, now we are confronted with the Big 1.
Question: Are you disappointed with the way the non-India members of ACC have reacted to the present situation?
There is some misunderstanding here. At the last Asia Cup meeting in Bahrain, the Bangladeshi candidate made the point that there is no question of an Asia Cup without Pakan, and everybody agreed. The hybrid model was the only model on the table. There was no other model because we had said that very clearly. I think two issues are being confused. The first is will the ACC accept the hybrid model? The second issue is: Which is going to be the neutral venue – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or any other country?
Question: Finally, some crystal-ball gazing. When do you see India-Pakan playing a Test match?
It will be glorious if that happens.