The Asian Cricket Council on Monday decided to move the Asia Cup 2023 out of Pakistan after member nations rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board’s proposal for a hybrid model. The tournament, to be played in September 2023, became a focal point of debate in the Asian region after ACC President Jay Shah said India would not travel to Pakistan for the tournament. In addition, Sri Lanka is the forerunner to host the multi-national tournament.
According to PTI reports, ACC has decided to shift the tournament out of Pakistan. It also states that the ACC president will have to call a meeting of the executive body to make the decision official. Also, it has to be seen whether Pakistan will compete in the tournament or not. The PCB was forced to send a hybrid model proposal after India decided not to send its team to Pakistan. The model was that India would play its matches at neutral venues and Pakistan would play at home.
“Najam Sethi (PCB chairman) was in Dubai today to seek support, but to his horror, there were no takers for his offer to play his games in Pakistan’s Karachi or Lahore and India’s in UAE Sri Lanka was always with the BCCI and even now the Bangladesh Cricket Board seems to be against the idea,” an ACC source told PTI.
“The ACC has always maintained that the ‘hybrid model’ is unacceptable in principle and that budgetary restrictions can never be passed. Furthermore, it is not about Pakistan hosting its own matches. This also means that If India and Pakistan are in the same group, the third team will travel between Dubai and a city in Pakistan.”
Meanwhile, the UAE was earlier said to be a contender to host the tournament, but due to extreme heat conditions there in September, it became difficult to host it there. The 50-over World Cup will also be round the corner and this could lead to health issues for the players.
According to Pakistan media websites, if he does not participate in the tournament, UAE can take his place for this.