The tournament might be shifted to another venue if diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan do not improve.
Pakistan are set to host the upcoming edition of Asia Cup in the year 2020 as decided in a meeting of the Asian Cricket Council held in Singapore on Tuesday (May 28). The decision comes with a huge question mark over the participation of defending champions India in the tournament due to the political tussle between the two nations.
The tournament, which is likely to be organised in the T20 format, will be held in September ahead of the World T20 in Australia. Team India had beaten Bangladesh in the final to lift the Asia Cup last year, which was held in the United Arab of Emirates (UAE).
As per a report published in The Indian Express, it was also decided in the meeting that the tournament will be shifted to another venue if diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan do not improve. The ACC also confirmed that Pakistan will continue to be the hosts unless situation demands otherwise. The venue can be changed just like the BCCI had given the hosting rights to UAE last year.
India last played on Pakistan soil in 2008. The political relations between the two South Asian neighbours had deteriorated following the Mumbai terror attack the same year and the recent Pulwama attack made it even worse.
In fact, in the wake of Pulwama attack in February, the Vinod Rai-led Committee of Administrators (CoA) had written a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), urging the governing body to break ties with countries that spread terrorism. The letter had also ignited speculations that India will boycott Pakistan in their World Cup group match on June 16.
Notably, the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri was a part of the ACC meeting in Singapore. Apart from the Asia Cup, the inclusion of cricket in the 2022 Asian Games was also discussed in the meeting.