Reports: Asia Cup 2023 could be held in Sri Lanka
The Asia Cup 2023 hosting row has captured all headlines recently. With the tournament originally supposed to be held in Pakistan, there have been several rumours that it could be hosted elsewhere after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected the proposal to play in Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries.
Furthermore, after a hybrid model of the tournament was put forth where India would play their matches outside of Pakistan, it was first agreed upon by the BCCI but later rejected to further jeopardise matters. With no plausible solution to the issue, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is looking to move the tournament out of Pakistan.
As per reports by the Indian Express, Sri Lanka is now the frontrunner to host the Asia Cup 2023. A final decision on the matter is expected by the end of May. With the backing of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka for the tournament to be moved out of Pakistan, Sri Lanka could be seen hosting the mega tournament and putting an end to the prolonged conundrum.
However, the participation of the Men in Green is unclear as of now, with several reports stating that they could boycott the event if Pakistan is stripped off the hosting rights.
With the tournament scheduled to start in September 2023, the United Arab Emirates was discussed as a potential host as well. However, recalling the time it was held in the UAE back in 2018, the playing conditions were deemed too harsh for the players, therefore putting the case to rest.
Pakistan’s inclusion in jeopardy
With the ODI World Cup scheduled to be played in India soon after the Asia Cup, the various participants would be treating the competition as a preparation of sorts, and if rumours of Pakistan boycotting the Asia Cup are to be believed, questions could also be raised around their participation in the World Cup.
With the ACC looking to announce the official hosts of the tournament in the coming weeks, only time will tell how the month-long saga would come to an end.
