Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Asif has voiced skepticism about the hybrid format suggested by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the 2023 Asia Cup.

After the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009, international cricket was suspended in Pakistan for several years. Later it was launched. Even teams like New Zealand and England visited Pakistan. However, India are against going to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup. The main reason is the political instability between the two countries. Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Jay Shah has made it clear that India will not play in Pakistan.

But this is not accepted by the PCB. They are not giving up. Even the ICC Chairman and Chief Executive has visited Pakistan. This time former Pakistani pacer Asif said that the unstable political climate in Pakistan will make teams reluctant to travel there. In his opinion, Sri Lanka and Dubai should also be evaluated as potential event hosts.

“I don’t think it will happen. Because the political situation is not great. Any team will be a little apprehensive of coming. So, I think the Asia Cup will be shifted to Sri Lanka or Dubai,” Asif said in Tahir ‘The 12th Man’ YouTube channel.

According to a report in Telegraph India, the ACC's other member nations have agreed to play in Sri Lanka, and Pakistan will be told of this at the next meeting of the organization's executive board. The PCB has the option of playing in Sri Lanka as the chosen hosts or backing out. In that case, the five teams involved will be India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, with the fifth spot still up in the air.