Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Mohan de Silva on Sunday said the Asia Cup is likely to be shifted out of Sri Lanka due to political instability in the country and the tournament could be held in the UAE. Massive protests against the government have been taking place in Sri Lanka, which is facing economic crisis, for weeks. The situation has worsened after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country in a military plane.
When asked about the possibility of a change in the venue of the T20 tournament, de Silva told PTI, “It is very likely that the Asia Cup will be held in the UAE.” The date of the six-team tournament is not likely to change. Is. As per the pre-determined schedule, the tournament is to be held from August 26 to September 11. There will also be a qualifier before the main event in which teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait and the UAE will challenge for a qualification spot.
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the five full member teams playing in the main division of the tournament. The successful conduct of Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s recent Test series in the country gave hope that SLC would be able to host the continental event. This tournament will be a good preparation opportunity for the team of Asian countries ahead of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October-November.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to make an official announcement soon regarding the change in the venue of the tournament. The Secretary of the Board of Cricket in India (BCCI) Jay Shah heads the ACC. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday that it wants the tournament to be held in Sri Lanka.
PCB Chief Executive Officer Faisal Hasnain said in a statement, “Our first priority is to support Sri Lanka and play the Asia Cup there. If this tournament doesn’t happen in Sri Lanka, it will be a huge cricket loss for them as well as financial loss. Australia’s recent tour of Sri Lanka went off without any problems.
“Similarly, there is no issue with Sri Lanka’s ongoing tour of Pakistan as we are in constant touch with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and our embassy in the country,” he said. Our discussions have suggested that the tournament is on the right track at the moment as they are monitoring the situation very carefully and we will support their decision.