PCB floats home series idea before World Cup

• PCB invites Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, South Africa.
• Plans to host bilateral ODIs, three-nation series.
• PCB wants its players to get 3 or 5 ODIs before World Cup.

LAHORE: Ahead of the World Cup later this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has pitched an idea regarding bilateral ODIs and a three-nation series, The News reported Monday, citing sources.

The cricket governing body, according to the sources, has started contacting Australia, New Zealand, Bangladesh, and South Africa, inviting them to come to Pakistan in August and play bilateral or a tri-nation series.

In an email sent to all four cricket boards, the PCB stated the series would be an opportunity for the visiting teams to acclimatise to the subcontinent's conditions before the World Cup.

The PCB wants its players to get three or five ODIs before the World Cup. 

Bradburn sets sights on World Cup, WTC final 

Meanwhile, Pakistan's head coach Grant Bradburn has said his goal is to guide the team to become the top-ranked side in all formats, win the World Cup this year, and compete in the next World Test Championship (WTC) final.

During a media interaction at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), he emphasised the need for improvement in every department and stressed the importance of playing more matches to achieve the targets. He acknowledged that the task of arranging more matches lies with the PCB, and he expressed confidence in its efforts to make it happen.

The ongoing specialised camp at the NCA was also a topic of discussion. He described it as a great opportunity for the players to enhance their skills. The camp focuses on spinners, and Bradburn highlighted the importance of nurturing talented spinners and providing batters with the chance to face them.

In response to a question about Abid Ali's participation in the camp, Bradburn praised him as a good cricketer with a decent Test average. He said that Abid looked fit and expressed confidence in his potential comeback.

When asked about leg-spinner Yasir Shah, Bradburn said that he is still part of their plans and can make a comeback. 

Younis wants PCB, BCCI to talk

Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has weighed in on the ongoing deadlock surrounding the venue of the Asia Cup 2023, emphasising the need for dialogue to resolve the issue.

Speaking at an MoU signing ceremony here, Younis highlighted the importance of the Pakistan-India cricket rivalry and advised officials from both countries to engage in meaningful discussions.

Younis said Pakistan-India matches are not only highly anticipated but also beneficial for cricket as a whole. 

He said that the entertainment value of cricket is greatly enhanced when these two teams face each other, and it is in everyone's best interest to ensure such matches take place. 

The Asia Cup 2023 is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan. However, due to political reasons, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to send its team to Pakistan for the tournament.