Pakistan may lose hosting Asia Cup 2023, venue will be decided in March

The hosting of Asia Cup 2023 can be snatched from Pakistan. An emergency meeting has been held regarding the hosting of the tournament. In this meeting, a meeting has been held between BCCI Secretary Jai Shah and Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi.

 

In this regard, an emergency meeting has been organized in Bahrain. BCCI Secretary Jai Shah also participated in this meeting. Jai Shah is also the President of the Asian Cricket Council. Significantly, the Asia Cup is to be organized in Pakistan in the year 2023. But now it is believed that its hosting can be handed over to UAE. In the meeting held in Bahrain, it has been decided whether Pakistan will be handed over the hosting or not, it will be decided in March.

 

Let us inform that last year Asia Cup was organized in UAE. The hosting of this tournament held in the Gulf countries can be handed over to the UAE once again. The possibility of organizing the Asia Cup in Pakistan seems to be very less. A report said that the newly elected PCB chief Najam Sethi wanted to hold an emergency meeting with ACC chief Jay Shah and other members. The main agenda of the meeting was whether or not to hand over the hosting of Asia Cup 2023 to Pakistan. It is believed that the hosting can be snatched from the hands of Pakistan and handed over to some other country.

 

It is believed that if the UAE is not handed over the hosting rights in place of Pakistan, then its other option could be Sri Lanka. Let us tell you that India has made it clear that the Indian team will not tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup. BCCI is also not going to change its stand in this matter.

 

In this regard, a senior BCCI official said that the ACC members met today and there was a very positive discussion. But the decision on shifting the venue was postponed till March. But be assured that India is not going to Pakistan, the tournament itself will be shifted somewhere else. Without players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, sponsors will withdraw from the tournament.

 

An ACC insider said that Sethi has recently become the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and if he backs out in the very first meeting, it would reflect badly in his country. Pakistan is currently facing economic crisis and inflation. Hosting a big tournament like the Asia Cup would prove to be a loss-making deal for the PCB, even if the ACC grants it. Therefore, strategically if the tournament is held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), then there is every possibility that all the member countries will also get their share of the broadcast revenue. In another decision, the ACC increased the annual budget given to the Afghanistan Cricket Association from six to 15 percent. The ACC assured that it would assist the Afghanistan Board in every possible way so that women’s cricket can be restored in the country. The Taliban has banned women from playing.