BCCI invites SLC president to watch IPL playoffs; fate of Asia Cup 2023 likely to be decided over next week

The BCCI and PCB are in a tussle over the staging of the Asia Cup 2023.

Asia Cup 2023 is slated to be held in September | ACC/TwitterThe BCCI and PCB are in a tussle over the staging of the Asia Cup 2023. While Pakistan have the hosting rights, the BCCI officials have time and again reiterated that India will not travel and the event would be shifted to a neutral venue.

As of today, the Pakistan Cricket Board has not agreed to the demand, leading to a deadlock. Recently, PCB proposed a ‘hybrid model’ to host the tournament. In such a model, India would play their matches in UAE while Pakistan would play their matches in homeland.

While the Asian Cricket Council is yet to release an official statement, a report published in Hindustan Times suggests that Pakistan's aspirations to host the continental tournament in the country could take a major blow as other ACC members – Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – also want the event to be played at a neutral venue.

According to the report, the final decision regarding the same might come in the next week.

Shammi Silva, who has been re-elected as Sri Lanka Cricket's president, is likely to attend the IPL play-offs this week alongside other dignitaries.

“We have been invited to witness IPL play-offs in India and during that trip there will be discussions on the Asia Cup 2023. Nothing has been decided yet. But I think the fate of Asia Cup 2023 will be decided over the next week or so,” Silva told reporters in Sri Lanka on Sunday (May 21).

Meanwhile, PCB chairman Najam Sethi has threatened to boycott the ODI World Cup in India later this year if the Asia Cup is shifted outside Pakistan.

"They want all the matches in a neutral venue. BCCI should take a good, rational decision so that we don't have any problems going forward. India should not be looking at a situation where we end up boycotting the Asia Cup and also the World Cup, and then India ends up boycotting the Champions Trophy. That will be a huge mess,” Sethi told Reuters last week.

The PCB chief reaffirmed that Pakistan may boycott the World Cup if that happened. “That’s a very real possibility, of course,” he added.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 22 May, 2023

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