BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Thursday that a final decision on the country — or countries — hosting the Asia Cup will be taken on the sidelines of the IPL final, which will be attended by a host of top Asian Cricket Council (ACC) dignitaries while Pakistan is the hosts of this year’s Asia Cup.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said on Thursday that a final decision on the country — or countries — hosting the Asia Cup will be taken on the sidelines of the IPL final, which will be attended by a host of top Asian Cricket Council (ACC) dignitaries.
“As of now, the decision with regards to hosting of Asia Cup hasn’t yet been finalized. We are busy with IPL but the top dignitaries of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Bangladesh, and Afghanistan Cricket Board are coming to watch the IPL final. We will have a discussion and take a final decision in due course,”
Jay Shah told PTI.
Pakistan is the host of this year’s Asia Cup, but the Indian cricket team not traveling to the neighboring country without the Central government’s approval, PCB chairman Najam Sethi proposed a “Hybrid Model” where four games are intended to be hosted in their country.
It has been learned from ACC sources that Sethi’s proposed Hybrid model in which India plays all of its games at neutral venues while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan play four preliminary matches in Pakistan seems like a workable alternative although the ACC has not officially stated anything.
The two India-Pakistan games will also be held in Sri Lanka although the PCB wants them in Dubai.
“ACC head Jay Shah will summon an executive body meeting where a formal announcement will take place. The PCB doesn’t mind playing India at a neutral venue. While they would prefer Dubai because it would lead to more gate receipts, it is open to playing in another country (read Sri Lanka) provided the ACC matches the gate receipts amount (USD 0.5 million) that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) received in 2022 from the Indo-Pak games in Dubai,”
an ACC source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
It is clear that neither BCCI nor ICC or the host broadcasters will support an India-Pakistan World Cup match taking place in Bangladesh, despite PCB’s insistence that playing the World Cup in India is subject to government approval and should be treated separately from Asia Cup hosting rights.
The window for the Asia Cup this year is between September 1-17.