Pakistan is set to host the Asia Cup in September, but India has declined to send its team due to political tensions between the two countries.
To resolve the situation, Pakistan suggested a hybrid model during the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting, which would involve other teams playing their matches in Pakistan while the Indian team would play in another country.
During the meeting, ACC President Jay Shah expressed interest in the model, but upon returning to India, he opposed it. Recently, Shah stated that the council is awaiting feedback from other participating countries before finalizing the venue for the Asia Cup.
“We are awaiting feedback from other nations to finalise the venue for the 2023 Asia Cup and clarity on the India-Pakistan match,” Shah said during a media interaction.
Sources indicate that if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remains firm on its stance regarding the hybrid model for the Asia Cup, the event may not take place this year, and the PCB is reportedly prepared for such a possibility.
The PCB has rejected the idea of holding the entire event in another country.
Sources further reveal that the cricket boards of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had made an unofficial attempt to convince Pakistan to hold the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, but were unsuccessful.
While Sri Lanka and the UAE are both keen to host the event, the PCB believes that the issue needs to be resolved now to avoid future complications, particularly with regards to hosting the Champions Trophy in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also anticipating the cancellation of the Asia Cup and has started planning for a five-nation tournament during the window left vacant by the event’s cancellation.
