Refuting media reports about postponing the Asia Cup or a parallel tournament to be played in Dubai excluding Pakistan, Asian Cricket Council (ACC) sources said they have not made any such proposal to member countries.
According to reports, a Pakistani media report claimed that if the Pakistan Cricket Board did not agree to play the Asia Cup at a neutral venue, the tournament could be out of the hands of the country.
Pakistan Cricket Board has the rights to host the Asia Cup 2023 with 50 over format, but Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah, who is also the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council, clarified that the Indian cricket team will not visit Pakistan. .
The Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in September this year, but its official date has not yet been decided.
The PCB had proposed hosting the Asia Cup on a ‘hybrid model’, in which Pakistan would play its matches on home soil, while India would play at a neutral venue, possibly in Dubai.
The Indian cricket board is believed to want the entire tournament to be shifted to the UAE, as was done in 2018 and 2022 when India and Sri Lanka hosted the tournament.
A member of the ACC board said on condition of anonymity that “messages have been exchanged but no discussion or proposal has been made to postpone the Asia Cup”.
He further said that the second thing is that if the Asia Cup is cancelled, then the PCB will be informed first, but so far nothing has happened, the ACC Chairman (Shah) has not yet revealed anything on record. Not kept.
According to him, the ACC will have to convene an executive board meeting to postpone or cancel the event. Chairman Jay Shah can call a meeting (virtual or physical) in 7 days, but so far there is no information about any such meeting.
According to information, the last official exchange of mail between the PCB, ACC and BCCI was an invitation letter to the Indian team assuring them of maximum security and best hospitality.
He said that however, obviously, it is difficult for India to travel to Pakistan in the current sensitive political environment.
Another issue is how much money the official broadcaster has promised on the broadcast contracts, which include at least two guaranteed Pak-India matches and a bonus third match if both teams reach the final.
“We should remember the media rights and the deal with Star Sports who have paid crores of rupees for at least two Pak-India matches in the Asia Cup,” he said.
It is learned that while there were informal discussions among ACC members about hosting the tournament at a neutral venue, sources confirmed that the BCCI had the support of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
In terms of details, if the Asia Cup is canceled after the ACC chairman calls for an executive board meeting, it will not only affect Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup but also the PCB’s FTP calendar. Apart from this, bilateral relations with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan or Bangladesh will also be affected.
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2024-07-23 20:16:59
