Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka aligns with India to exclude Pakistan from Asia Cup?

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in September 2023 but the event remains mired in doubts with India trying to derail the tournament. Pakistan has the official rights of hosting Asia Cup but Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not ready to send its cricket team to the host country.

The world has witnessed that many international teams have visited Pakistan to play matches.

A series with New Zealand was recently concluded, in which both teams played five T20I and five One-Day International (ODI) in the different cities of Pakistan but BCCI still has concerns.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has presented a Hybrid Model in which India play their matches in Dubai, or more likely, in Sri Lanka.

However, the BCCI has expressed dissatisfaction with this proposal. Currently, Sethi is in Dubai, where he met with ICC officials on Tuesday.

He was scheduled to meet with Pankaj Khimji, Deputy President of the Asian Council, and cricket officials from the UAE to discuss the possibility of hosting India’s matches in the UAE under the ‘Hybrid Model.’

The PCB is concerned that if the Asia Cup is not held now, the same issue may arise during the hosting of the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the ICC may decide to relocate the event if India does not participate.

Therefore, under the proposed model, the Indian cricket team’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in Bangladesh. Currently, there is a tense stand-off between Pakistani and Indian officials, with India allegedly using its media to its advantage.

The BCCI has also collaborated with Sri Lanka, convincing them to play two additional matches, as they have been eager to host the Asia Cup for some time now. In response, Pakistan has reminded Afghanistan that they recently played additional matches in Sharjah, and they stand with the PCB on this matter.

While there are concerns about the heat in Dubai, efforts are being made to convince Bangladesh to cooperate, and they are reportedly willing to do so.

PCB officials have publicly stated that “we have earned a substantial amount of money due to the PSL, and therefore, the Asia Cup’s cancellation would not be a significant concern for them.”

In reality, the Pakistani authorities aim to avoid financial losses and prioritize preparations for the upcoming World Cup.

Several news reports regarding the Asia Cup were circulating in the Indian media yesterday. One report claimed that “the members have rejected the PCB’s ‘Hybrid Model’ and moved the event from Pakistan.”

However, an official representative from the PCB, who was in contact with an Indian Express representative, dismissed these reports as baseless and an attempt by the BCCI to increase pressure.

He stated that the ACC has not officially denied accepting the ‘Hybrid Model’ proposed by the PCB, and discussions are still ongoing. The official further added that unverified news from unnamed sources is not credible.