The venue for the 2023 Asia Cup is likely to be finalised soon, with representatives from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka’s cricket boards coming to India for the IPL 2023 final, which will be played in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, on Sunday, 28 May.
The representatives of the three nations will be having a meeting with the Asian Cricket Council’s (ACC) President, Jay Shah, wherein the venue for Asia Cup is likely to be decided. With this development, the tournament is now certain to proceed as per schedule, contrary to reports of it being cancelled owing to a dispute over hosting rights.
“The respective presidents of the Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka Cricket Boards will grace the Tata IPL 2023 final to be held on May 28 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. We will hold discussions with them for outlining the future course of action in relation to Asia Cup 2023,” Shah told media on Wednesday, 24 May.
Though the hosting rights of this edition’s Asia Cup are with Pakistan, India had previously announced their decision of not traveling to the neighbouring nation. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suggested a hybrid model, wherein only India’s matches will be held in a neutral venue, whilst the other fixtures will be played in Pakistan.
Albeit the model was met with opposition initially, the ACC members are now reportedly leaning towards accepting it. Shah will conduct an executive body meeting, following which, the venue, or venues, are likely to be officially announced.
India’s Matches Likely To Be Shifted to Sri Lanka
It is expected that India’s matches will be shifted to Sri Lanka, with the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) harsh weather conditions in September proving to be a major barrier. The tournament will commence on 2 September, with the final scheduled for 17 September.
India and Pakistan have been placed in Group A, alongside Nepal as the third team. In Group B, defending champions Sri Lanka have been pitted alongside Afghanistan and Bangladesh. With the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup scheduled to commence a month later, this competition with revert to the 50-over format.
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