ACC set to move Asia Cup 2023 out of Pakistan; Sri Lanka likely to host

Digital Desk: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) opted on Monday to shift the 2023 Asia Cup outside of Pakistan after the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) bid to organize the tournament on a 'hybrid model' was turned down by the member nations. Sri Lanka has emerged as the frontrunner to host the six-nation tournament, as extreme humidity in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September could cause injuries to the players.

It will be interesting to see if Pakistan participates in the tournament, which is scheduled to take place from September 2-17. The Pakistan PCB was forced to propose an alternative after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chose not to send the Indian squad to the neighbouring country due to political concerns between the two countries.

The PCB hopes to hold another round of talks on Tuesday in case of a change of heart. PCB proposed that India's games be played in the UAE, while Pakistan's games be played on home soil. "Najam Sethi [PCB chairman] was in Dubai today to gain support, but to his surprise, there was nobody interested in his proposal of Pakistan playing in Karachi or Lahore and India playing in the UAE. Sri Lanka has always been with the BCCI, and now even the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB] appears to be against the idea," an ACC source told PTI.

"ACC has consistently argued that the 'hybrid model' is inherently undesirable and therefore budgetary sanctions can never be approved. Additionally, it concerns something other than Pakistan hosting its games. Additionally, if India and Pakistan are in the same group, that implies that the third team will be going back and forth between Dubai and a Pakistani city," the source added.

The PCB's recent decision to hold Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches in the UAE because of rising security costs has added fuel to the fire. "In addition, broadcasters would not want to send separate units in two countries logistically. "Sri Lanka, like the UAE, does not require inter-city flights, no matter whether you play at Khettarama [Premadasa Stadium], SSC, Galle, or Kandy," he stated.

However, the ACC chairman, Jay Shah, will need to call an Executive Body meeting to make the decision official. It remains to be seen whether Pakistan competes in the event or chooses not to come to India for the 2023 ICC World Cup. "Even the ICC [International Cricket Council] will not agree to Pakistan playing its matches outside of India [during the CWC]." So, let's wait and see what the PCB decides," the source said.