The Asian Cricket Council has accepted Pakistan’s hybrid proposal for staging the Asia Cup after India refused to tour due to strained political relations between the countries.
Pakistan will host four games and the remaining nine will be played in Sri Lanka, the ACC said in a statement on Thursday.
The Asia Cup runs from Aug. 31-Sept. 17.
“I am elated that our hybrid version for the Asia Cup has been accepted,” Pakistan Cricket Board head Najam Sethi said.
“Our passionate fans would have loved to see the India cricket team in action in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, but we understand the BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) position. Like the PCB, the BCCI also requires government approval and clearance before crossing borders.”
The two hosts and the ACC will work on a schedule. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India will be divided into two groups. The top two teams in each go to a Super Four and the top two play the final.
The United Arab Emirates was also considered as a neutral venue for India but Bangladesh had issues about extreme weather in the gulf country during September.
The Asia Cup will serve as a tune-up for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in October-November. Pakistan initially threatened to boycott the World Cup over India’s Asia Cup stance, but a compromise was reached and Pakistan has conditions on cities it will play in.
Source: Yahoo News
