Asia Cup: Pakistan and Sri Lanka to co-host tournament as row over India’s participation resolved
- Pakistan and India have refused to play each other anywhere but in neutral venues since 2012
- Asia Cricket Council announces hybrid model, with 4 games in Pakistan and 9, including the final, in Sri Lanka
This year’s Asia Cup will be split between two venues, the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) announced on Thursday, with officials opting to stage the tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan had initially been named as sole hosts, but India has refused to play any matches on their neighbours home soil in any version of the game since 2012, and the pair only play each other in international tournaments on neutral grounds.
The two cricketing powerhouses have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent’s partition in 1947, and are bitter political rivals.
In retaliation, the Pakistan Cricket Board had threatened to boycott the World Cup in India, which is expected to start in October, if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to play the Asia Cup a month earlier.
But the ACC said a hybrid model had been agreed, with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the rest, including a final that could feature the two rivals, in Sri Lanka. The other sides involved in the six-team tournament are Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal.
“We are delighted to announce that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held from 31st August to 17th September 2023 and will see the elite teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, compete in a total of 13 exciting ODI matches,” the ACC said in a statement.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi thanked the ACC for accepting what he called “the best solution” to navigate the crisis.
“This means the PCB will remain as the event host and stage matches in Pakistan with Sri Lanka as the neutral venue, which was required due to the Indian cricket team’s inability to travel to Pakistan,” Sethi said.
“Our passionate fans would have loved to see the India cricket team in action in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, but we understand the BCCI’s position.
“Like the PCB, the BCCI also requires government approval and clearance before crossing borders.”
Sri Lanka’s board had expressed willingness to host some Asia Cup matches, despite an economic crisis which forced it to default on its US$46 billion foreign debt in April last year and seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
