The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will decide on an alternate venue for the Asia Cup ODI tournament in March after the first formal meeting between BCCI secretary Jay Shah and PCB chairman Najam Sethi in Bahrain on Saturday. The Asia Cup hosting rights were initially given to Pakistan and it was to be held in September 2023 but ACC chairman Shah announced in October last year that India would not tour Pakistan.
It is to be noted that three UAE venues – Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – are strong contenders to host the tournament but the decision has been put on hold for the time being. All heads of ACC member states attended the emergency meeting, which was called at the behest of PCB chairman Sethi after the ACC released the continental body’s schedule, in which Pakistan was not named as the host.
A senior BCCI official in the know of this told PTI, “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.
