The dispute over the 2023 Asia Cup hosts has recently dominated news coverage. After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected the idea of playing in Pakistan because of political concerns between the two nations, there have been various rumors that the event may now be staged somewhere else. Additionally, the BCCI first agreed to a hybrid tournament style where India would play its matches outside of Pakistan but later rejected it to further complicate matters.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is trying to shift the tournament outside of Pakistan because there isn’t a workable solution to the problem. According to reports in the Indian Express, Sri Lanka is now the favorite to host the 2023 Asia Cup. By the end of May, a final choice should be made.
Sri Lanka may envisage hosting the big tournament and putting an end to the protracted controversy with the support of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka for the tournament to be transferred out of Pakistan.
But as of right now, it’s uncertain whether the Men in Green will take part because various sources claim that they might skip the gathering if Pakistan loses its hosting privileges.
The United Arab Emirates was also mentioned as a potential host, with the competition set to begin in September 2023. The playing conditions were deemed to be too severe for the players when it was staged in the UAE back in 2018, putting the matter to rest.
Pakistan’s admission is in danger
The various competitors would be treating the competition as a sort of preparation since the ODI World Cup is scheduled to be played in India shortly after the Asia Cup. If rumors that Pakistan will boycott the Asia Cup are to be believed, questions may also be raised about Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup.
Only time will tell how the month-long odyssey will conclude, as the ACC plans to announce the tournament’s official hosts in the following weeks.
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