The India-Pakistan rivalry takes center stage at the Asia Cup, with a reserve day allotted only for their Super 4 clash. Other teams cry foul, but the marquee matchup is key for broadcasting rights worth $4 million. Tradition triumphs over competition.
During the Super 4 phase of the Asia Cup, it became clear why a reserve day had been set aside for the India-Pakistan encounter but not for the other matches.
After the rain delayed the conclusion of the Asia Cup match between Pakistan and India, the coaches for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh objected to the decision to preserve a reserve day for the match of the group 4 stage. It was determined that if the game between the two traditional rivals was played to completion, the winner would receive 2 points, while if the other teams’ games were rained out, they would each receive 1 point.
Since the majority of the Super 4 and traditional Rivalry is expected to be a possible final, the Pak-India matches are the most important for the financial stability of the event, as there are many international T20 leagues with or without reserve days as traditional rivals for broadcasters. The broadcaster paid a total of 4 crore US dollars for the Asia Cup rights. Competition is superior to any and all properties.
There were worries about the weather in Colombo, but the Asian Cricket Council ultimately decided that playing the matches in Colombo was the best option owing to logistical constraints and other issues, including broadcasting.
