Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, the Asian teams will involve in the Asia Cup 2020 (T20I), which will be a good preparatory tournament for them. Pakistan has the right to host this upcoming edition of the Asia Cup. But according to the recent media reports, they are going to lose this hosting right as the defending and record-time champions India have denied travelling to Pakistan.
Asia Cup has played a massive role in the growth of Asian cricket. Though the Asia Cup 2020 will be the 15th edition of this tournament, it will be the only second time when the tournament runs in the T20I format. While the last Asia Cup was organised in 2018 (ODI format), the Asia Cup T20I started in 2016.
As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 will be played in Australia between 18th October and 15th November 2020, the Asia Cup 2020 will be organised in September 2020. Initially, Pakistan has been awarded to host this upcoming edition of Asia Cup T20, which can be their first-ever multi-nation tournament since Asia Cup 2008.
However, Pakistan has just started to move on from the 2009 Lahore terrorist attack on Sri Lankan national cricket team bus that halted the international cricket in that nation till 2014. Though the country restarted to host international cricket from 2015, they finally hosted a Test series in December 2019. But, like many top cricket nations, India have also denied travelling Pakistan due to security reasons. Also, the political tensions between the two countries have played the bar for this.
Asia Cup 2020: New host nation is likely to be announced in February
So, according to the latest media reports, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to shift the host country of the Asia Cup 2020. The new host country for this edition is likely to be announced in the next month.
A Pakistan journalist tweeted, “There was a discussion regarding the Asia Cup venue on the sideline of the meeting. Pakistan is the host of the tournament but they may not host it as India will not tour Pakistan. There will be a discussion about the venue in Feb, Nazm Uddin President BCB told reporters.”
India had the hosting rights for the Asia Cup 2018, which was scheduled in the ODI format. But due to political tensions between India and Pakistan that tournament was shifted to United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The seven-time Asia Cup winners India, which is the record number of Asia Cup victories for a team, won the last two Asia Cups, Asia Cup 2016 (T20) and Asia Cup 2018 (ODI).