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Asian Cricket Council Announces Dates and Venues for Asia Cup 2023
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) recently revealed the dates and venues for the Asia Cup 2023. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) requested a hybrid model for the tournament, which was accepted by the ACC.
Background
The Asia Cup was originally planned to be hosted solely by Pakistan. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined to travel to Pakistan due to government clearance and security concerns.
The Proposal
Najam Sethi, the former chairman of the dissolved cricket management committee of the PCB, proposed a hybrid model to host the event. This proposal was accepted by the ACC, including India.
Tournament Details
The ACC confirmed that four matches will be held in Pakistan and nine matches will be held in Sri Lanka. The tournament will take place from August 31 to September 17.
PCB’s Request for More Matches in Pakistan
According to a report, the PCB will try to persuade the ACC to allow more matches to be hosted in Pakistan. The new PCB cricket committee chief, Zaka Ashraf, has expressed this desire to ACC board officials.
Reasoning Behind the Request
The PCB is concerned about the weather forecast for the venues in Sri Lanka, which is set to host nine matches. They believe that hosting more matches in Pakistan would be beneficial due to the potential for rain in Sri Lanka.
Expectations for the Meeting
The ACC is meeting in Dubai to finalize the fixtures for the Asia Cup. It is reported that Dambulla will host the highly anticipated India versus Pakistan matches.
Additional Venue Requests
Zaka Ashraf has expressed his desire to use other venues in addition to Lahore, such as Multan. The PCB believes that starting the tournament with a match between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan would attract a larger crowd compared to Lahore.
Optimism for Hosting More Matches
PCB officials are optimistic that their request to host more matches will be approved by the ACC.
Participating Teams
The marquee tournament will feature teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal. The matches will be played in a 50-over format.
(With PTI Inputs)
