The debate over which country would host the 2023 Asia Cup doesn’t appear to be going away, as Pakistan and India have been at odds over where the continental competition will take place. While PCB chairman Najam Sethi has threatened to boycott India’s hosting of the ODI World Cup later this year in retribution, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has explicitly stated that India will not be traveling to Pakistan for the competition.
In a recent development, BCCI is apparently receiving support from the Bangladesh Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket to shift the Asia Cup out of Pakistan. According to the article, both nations would even be open to hosting the competition if Pakistan were to lose its hosting rights.
According to a report in Geo News, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) may decide to replace Pakistan with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if Pakistan declines to take part in the competition.
Jay Shah, who is also the president of the ACC, has even promised the broadcasters that an upcoming India series will make up for any loss they incur as a result of Pakistan’s absence.
According to earlier reports, the tournament will follow a hybrid format, with all of India’s games—including the final, should they advance—taking place at a neutral site.
However, according to recent sources, the BCCI rejected the hybrid model put up by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Indian government has reportedly instructed the BCCI to take a strict stance at the upcoming ACC conference.
The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was in 2012–2013.
Notably, the two countries have been at odds since Pakistan was given the right to host the Asia Cup in 2023. Ramiz Raja, the previous PCB chairman, also expressed the board’s current position, which is to refrain from traveling to India for the World Cup.
Since their last bilateral series in 2012–13, India and Pakistan have only faced off in international competitions like the Asia Cup or World Cup. After another ACC meeting, it is anticipated that the misunderstanding surrounding the Asia Cup will be resolved in the following months.
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