Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan likely to host while India’s games to be played overseas, check potential venues
While no venue has been confirmed for India to play, UAE, Sri Lanka, Oman and even England are potential contenders.
New Delhi: BCCI and PCB have been on a stand-off with regard to the venue for the upcoming Men’s Asia Cup. As per the latest developments, Pakistan is likely to host the 2023 Asia Cup while India will be hosted at some other overseas venue. While no venue has been confirmed for India to play, UAE, Sri Lanka, Oman and even England are potential contenders.
The members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) met last weekend in Dubai, while ICC hosts its quarterly board meetings. ACC was unable to draw a conclusion in March in Bahrain, but this time hosting the tournament in Pakistan and hosting India on overseas venues was considered the most viable option.
UAE hosted the 2018 Asia Cup in such conditions and Oman hosted the first round of the 2021 T20 World Cup, which makes them the top contenders to host India’s games.
The tournament will be played in September this year before India hosts the World Cup in October. India and Pakistan have been grouped together while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in the other group. It will be a 50-over tournament played between six teams.
As reported by ESPNCricinfo, Sri Lanka also prepared to exchange the hosting rights with PCB, but the latter was reluctant and India is adamant about not visiting the neighbouring country amid the political tensions.
The controversy began in October 2022, when BCCI secretary and ACC chief Jay Shah announced that India will not visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup and the tournament will be played in a neutral venue.