ICC Champions Trophy: Shoaib Akhtar weighs in on hybrid model; disagrees with PCB on key point | Cricket News

Former Pakan pacer Shoaib Akhtar agreed that the Pakan Cricket Board’s reported demand for higher revenue from the ICC Champions Trophy, in case of the ‘hybrid model’ being employed, was justified, but took a differing stance to his home country’s board on the alleged matter of the model being applicable in India as well.
Akhtar made the comments on a Pakani channel and said, “You are getting paid for hosting rights and revenue, and that’s fine-we all understand it. Pakan’s stance is also reasonable. They should have maintained a strong position, why not? Once we are able to host the Champions Trophy in our country and they are unwilling to come, they should share the revenue with us at a higher rate. That’s a good call.”
But the Rawalpindi Express stated that rather than Pakan asking for a hybrid model to be put across in India as well, a team should be sent for matches in the country. His logic was that Pakan should always be the country that extends a hand of friendship towards India and have the goal of beating the Indian team on their own soil in a cricket match.
“In terms of playing in India in the future, we should extend a hand of friendship and go there. My belief has always been, go to India and defeat them there. India mein khelo aur wahi unhe maarke aao (play in India and beat them on their home ground). I understand that the hybrid model had already been signed earlier,” he added.

The last time Pakan hosted an ICC event was in the year of 1996. The Asia Cup, held in the country last year, was also conducted in a hybrid model, with all of India’s games taking place in Sri Lanka.