Former India coach Ravi Shastri shared his two cents amidst the ongoing debate of whether the Asia Cup 2023 should’ve been played in UAE or not, given that persistent rain has ruined the excitement for the tournament in Sri Lanka.
After BCCI secretary Jay Shah had announced in October last year that India would not travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, the ACC did their best to finalize a solution for the tournament while the PCB wanted to hold onto the hosting rights and having matches in Pakistan.
Finally, it was decided that Pakistan would host four matches, and the rest of the encounters, including the final to be played in Sri Lanka. This is despite September being monsoon season in the island country.
And the worst fears came true as rain has been a constant interruption both in Pallekele and Colombo as the India vs. Pakistan Group A game ended in a no result in Kandy, while at the same venue, India’s chase against Nepal was shortened due to rain.
And currently the India vs. Pakistan Super 4s game had to be moved from September 10 to reserve day on September 11, 2023, after rain interrupted play while India was 147/2 in 24.1 overs.
This led to ex-PCB chief Najam Sethi taking various digs at ACC and chief Jay Shah for not adhering to his advice of having the entire tournament in UAE. However, Shah released a statement stating that the stakeholders were not willing to risk the fitness of their players as the UAE gets very hot in September.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri addressed the red-hot UAE vs. Sri Lanka debate and his reason as to why Dubai wasn't chosen as the venue is an eye-opener.
“If you see at this moment in time, there is rain everywhere. You know, there was talk about that it could have been played in Dubai. Dubai is so hot… for a 50-over game, these players would have been finished. It's unforeseen circumstances, it’s a calamity that can happen naturally. You look at Bangladesh, northern India, Mumbai, the coastline of India… there is rain everywhere," Shastri said on Star Sports.
The temperature in Dubai fluctuates between 40 to 47 degrees Celsius at this time of the year. It's essential to consider that players enduring such extreme heat for 50 overs on the field might be a reason why the UAE wasn't on standby.
Adding to this perspective, former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram supported Shastri's theory and said that while frustration is there due to frequent washouts and rain interruptions, he urged the public from indulging in the blame game.
"I know it’s frustrating for the players and the fans back home in India, Pakistan, and worldwide as well but this thing you cannot control. A lot of people are criticizing a lot of people regarding the Asia Cup but this decision has been made. There is no point criticizing now, nothing can happen. A lot of people say it should have been played in Pakistan. We can discuss this topic but it's not our job," said the former Pakistan captain.
