Asia Cup 2023: What happens if Pakistan boycotts the tournament after 'Hybrid Model' rejection?

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan all gave logistical and budgetary justifications for rejecting Pakistan's 'Hybrid Model' when BCCI refused to support it for the forthcoming Asia Cup 2023. This implies that, if the Asia Cup is held at all, it will only be held in one nation and Pakistan may withdraw from the tournament, according to reports, if their requests are not granted.

What is the 'Hybrid Model'?

Due to India's persistent unwillingness to play in Pakistan, the neighbouring nation proposed a hybrid model, which called for 3–4 of Pakistan's matches to be played there while the remaining matches were played elsewhere. However, the Asia Cup is in peril now that their proposal was rejected, particularly if Pakistan decides not to take part. In the event that Pakistan withdraws from the competition, the following three scenarios could occur:

Asia Cup will take place with other Teams, but there is a catch:

The Asia Cup can continue without Pakistan in Sri Lanka or any other nation with the remaining teams. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka will play, and the tournament may still be called the Asia Cup.

However, since Pakistan will not be present in this situation, broadcasters might wish to renegotiate the agreement. The match between India and Pakistan is sort of the signature event of many major competitions, and it will suffer significantly if Pakistan withdraws. Fans may still see the continental competition during the allocated frame, but it will only be contested in one nation.

A Four Nation Series in India:

India may invite Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to participate in a four- or five-nation ODI series in India during the Asia Cup window if the tournament is not conducted. It will provide a taste of the previous Tri-nation series, which has been completely absent lately. Given that only India will host the World Cup, this can serve as a good warm-up for the Asian nations before the tournament.

Teams play separate series:

If the Asia Cup is not held, this will be a disappointing but realistic scenario. In this situation, teams may form alliances with other countries from around the globe to play bilateral series in advance of the ODI World Cup. It would be crucial for Sri Lanka to secure a World Cup berth in the forthcoming qualifiers since their participation in the ODI World Cup is on the line. For the ODI World Cup, India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have already qualified.