Asia Cup 2023: The jinx continues as far Asia Cup 2023 is concerned. Even as the World Cup 2023 seems to kick off well, the Asia Cup seems to heading towards a cancellation. After BCCI’s reluctance to travel to Pakistan, SriLanka and Bangladesh have now refused PCB’s hybrid model. Follow IND vs PAK LIVE Updates on Insidesport.IN
SriLanka Cricket and Bangladesh Cricket Board officials have rejected Najam Sethi’s hybrid model for the upcoming Asia Cup. Pakistan who won the hosting rights for the tournament were hit with a blow after BCCI refused to travel to the country. Further political tension and the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan has created further unrest. PCB in the meantime had suggested hosting India’s games in the UAE, while the rest of the games were to be played in Pakistan.
However, both SLC and BCB have rejected the proposal. There is reluctance from the players and the boards considering the extreme summer conditions in the Gulf nation during September. While UAE has hosted the T20 Asia Cup and the IPL in the same period, those matches begin late in the evening. Several players complained of the heat when the 2018 tournament was played in UAE.
As such the future of the tournament hangs in the balance. Sri Lanka has emerged as the new favourite to host the tournament. Pakistan has threatened to pull out should they not be allowed to host the same. BCCI thus have planned a five-nation tournament sans Pakistan, should the Asia Cup be cancelled.
Meanwhile, BCCI has opted for a wait-and-watch approach. ACC President and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah is adamant on his stance of India not travelling to Pakistan for the tournament.
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