Cricket News
It is probable that the 2023 Asia Cup will be held in Pakistan along with another overseas venue chosen for India's matches.
The neutral venue is yet to be confirmed, but several locations, including the UAE, Oman, Sri Lanka, and even England, are being considered as potential contenders.
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According to ESPNcricinfo, the 2023 Asia Cup is expected to be held in Pakistan, but with India's games to be played at an overseas venue. The BCCI and PCB, after some initial disagreement, are now working towards a solution where both teams would play their matches against each other outside of Pakistan.
While the neutral venue is yet to be confirmed, potential contenders include the UAE, Oman, Sri Lanka, and even England. The tournament, scheduled to be held in September 2023, will see India, Pakistan, and a qualifier competing in one group,
while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will form the other. The top two teams from each group will progress to the Super 4s, with the top two playing in the final. The working group will finalize the schedule and travel arrangements before deciding on the second venue. Although weather conditions may affect the decision, there is a strong desire among Asian venues to host high-profile India-Pakistan games.
The option of holding part of the tournament in a city like London is also being considered. The members of the Asian Cricket Council agreed to the option of playing some of the tournament outside of Pakistan when they met in Dubai. The PCB and BCCI were represented at the meeting by Najam Sethi and Jay Shah, respectively.
In October of last year, the PCB was taken aback by Shah's announcement that the 2023 Asia Cup would be played at a "neutral" venue. The then-chair of the PCB, Ramiz Raja, quickly replied that Pakistan would withdraw from the tournament if it was moved out of the country. Najam Sethi, Raja's successor, also affirmed this position during the meetings in Bahrain and Dubai.
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In the discussions, Shah clarified that he had made the statement in his capacity as the ACC president. During the Bahrain meeting, the BCCI highlighted that they had successfully hosted the 2018 Asia Cup at a neutral venue - in the UAE - after it became clear that Pakistan could not travel to India due to the strained political relations between the two countries.
With relations remaining the same, Shah informed the ACC that India would be unable to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. The PCB also stated that if the entire tournament was moved out of Pakistan, they would withdraw from the event. At one point, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) had offered to swap the hosting rights with the PCB and host the entire tournament, but the offer was rejected by the PCB.
With a stalemate apparent, the option of splitting the tournament between two countries, including Pakistan, emerged during informal discussions and was eventually presented and discussed at the formal ACC meeting. It is understood that both the PCB and BCCI were open to such a plan, subject to the details and logistics being worked out to satisfy everyone. The plan will also be taken to their respective governments before a formal schedule is finalized.
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