Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani and CEO Wasim Khan confirmed that the Asia Cup is likely to get postponed if India qualifies for the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The WTC and Asia Cup both are scheduled to take place in June this year.
If India avoids a loss against England in the final Test at Ahmedabad, they will qualify for the WTC final to face New Zealand. If not, Australia will take the spot.
"Asia Cup was set to go last year but it got postponed to this year. Right now, it looks like Asia Cup won't be going ahead this year as the WTC finals are set to go ahead in June. Sri Lanka had said that they would try to host the tournament in June," Mani told reporters in Karachi during a press conference on Sunday (February 28).
"The dates are clashing. We think the tournament would not be going ahead, and we might have to push the tournament to 2023," he added.
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Wasim Khan also said that India's chances to qualify for the WTC final looks high and the Asia Cup might need to be postponed.
"It looks like India has reached the finals and they will clash against New Zealand. This is why the Asia Cup set to be played in Sri Lanka won't go ahead. We are waiting for confirmation but if it does not go ahead, we are planning for the future," said Khan during a virtual press conference.
The upcoming T20 World Cup this year will be played in India. PCB chairman Mani said the board has sent a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) for details on the issuance of visas from India.
"India is set to host T20 World Cup in October-November this year. I have told the board that we want written confirmation from India that our fans, journalists, and players will get visas. I have a meeting with ICC and I will raise this point once again," he said.
Mani further said the T20 World Cup needs to be shifted somewhere else if India fails to provide visas to their players, support staff, fans, and media.
"The ICC has said that the assurance will come by March. If we do not get the assurance, then the tournament needs to be moved. We have a visa problem, Covid-19 situation also needs to be looked at. The ICC has made a contingency plan that if T20 World Cup cannot be played in India, then it will go ahead in the UAE," said Mani.
"The ICC management has said that the decision needs to be finalized by March 31."
(With ANI inputs)
