The clouds of uncertainty on the Asia Cup 2023 have darkened as two big cricket boards Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) offer of a hybrid tournament by refusing to play in United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Cricbuzz reported that PCB, the designated host, wanted to host the Asia Cup in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan. This was already rejected by The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as ACC wants the tournament to be played outside Pakistan.
But Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) were not agreeable to playing the matches in the UAE because of the September heat there.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has surfaced as a potential alternative location for the continental championship, although the PCB appears hesitant to participate in the event if its demands are not met. It has stated that if the competition is shifted, it will withdraw.
The heat in September has been highlighted by the SLC and the BCB as a reason for their unwillingness to play in the UAE.
PCB Counters SLC And BCB’s Claims Of Heat In UAE In September
The PCB is thought to have argued that some tournaments had been conducted in September in the past. The PCB chief Najam Sethi, who has just visited Dubai, stated during a meeting with BCB and SLC representatives that the BCCI was the designated host for the 50-over Asia Cup that took place from September 15 to 28 of last year.
He added that the Asia Cup in the Twenty20 format was staged from August 27 to September 11 in 2022, when the SLC served as the host. He even mentioned that the desert country hosted the IPL in 2020 from September to November.
The PCB is believed to have insisted on the hybrid model of Pakistan-UAE failing which it will pull out.
The 2018 50-over Asia Cup, where matches had to begin in the afternoons when it is typically scorching hot in the UAE, saw many Indian players complain of the heat. T20 championships were events they could’ve started in the evening.
The ACC chief, Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has not responded. Although a choice has not yet been made, the competition appears to be in jeopardy.