Salman Butt, who used to play cricket for Pakistan, didn’t like the idea of having the 2023 Asia Cup in England. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have always had problems with each other. Since Pakistan won the right to host the Continental Championship, the BCCI has made it clear that they will not fly to Pakistan. This has made things more difficult between the two cricket organizations.
During a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in May, PCB chief Najam Sethi suggested a hybrid plan for hosting the multi-nation event, with India’s games taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) turned down the idea, though. After this, Sethi told an Indian news site that he thought the Asia Cup should be held in England.
Salman Butt questioned the idea of having the Asia Cup in England, saying that a neutral location wouldn’t be right for a tournament meant to reflect the Asian continent.
“A neutral venue like this [England] is not possible for the Asia Cup. It wouldn’t make sense, since there wouldn’t be a single place in Asia where it could be held,” Salman Butt was quoted by Cricket Pakistan as saying.
Ireland and the Netherlands can also be a part of the Asia Cup. Salman Butt said then that European countries could join the Asia Cup to make it more like the World Cup. The 38-year-old said that the game will have ten teams, with six from Asia and four from Europe. He thought that it would be a warm-up for the World Cup. He also said that it is important to think about whether or not the choices are realistic.
“You could add England and call it the “Euro-Asia Cup.” You can also say the following. In the past, Australia took part in an event called the Austral-Asia Cup. Ireland and the Netherlands can also be a part of it. It would be a tournament with ten teams, like the World Cup. Six teams will come from Asia and four from Europe, making it a tournament with ten teams. It will be a warm-up for the World Cup. You can come up with as many ideas as you want, but you also need to think about what is realistic,” he said.
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