The PCB’s proposed hybrid model for the Asian Cup is likely to be approved by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue where India can play its games. The model sees four, and possibly five, of the tournament’s 13 games to be played in Pakistan. All India-Pakistan games will be played in Sri Lanka, as will the final if India is involved.

ESPNcricinfo understands that there will likely be an official announcement after the weekend. The window reserved for the tournament is currently between the 1st and the 17th of September. For the Pakistan leg, the games are likely to be played in Lahore.

The likely approval represents a significant breakthrough in a stalemate that has not only dragged on for some time, but has also threatened consequences for ICC events, most urgently the World Cup in India this year, but also the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. There is now a chance that a deal here could ease Pakistan’s path to travel to India for the World Cup.

PCB chief Najam Sethi had presented the details of the hybrid model to Pankaj Khimji, the head of Oman Cricket and vice president of the ACC, at a meeting in Dubai a couple of weeks ago. It was the solution that the PCB had proposed to account for the fact that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament due to the ongoing political tensions between the governments of the two countries.

India and Pakistan have teamed up with Nepal in the six-nation Asian Cup, scheduled to be held in the over-50 format in preparation for the World Cup. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group.

A total of 13 matches, including the final, are expected to be played in 13 days. Like the 2022 format, the top two teams from each group are expected to advance to a Super 4 round, before the top two teams from that contest reach the final. That leaves open the possibility of India and Pakistan meeting three times, should they reach the final.