The Asian Cricket Council is working on deciding an alternate venue for the Asia Cup ODI tournament in March after BCCI secretary Jay Shah and PCB chairman Najam Sethi met in a formal meeting hosted in Bahrain on Saturday. The Asia Cup was initially to be hosted in Pakistan later in September this year. But now the the ACC chairman, had proclaimed that as per India’s stance, last October it will not fly to Pakistan. Thereby the three speculated venues in the United Arab Emirates- Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
“The ACC affiliates met today and there were a lot of constructive discussions. But the shift of venue has been postponed till March. But be rest assured that with India not going to Pakistan, the tournament will have to be shifted. A tournament without Virat Kohlis, Rohit Sharmas and Shubman Gills will have the sponsors back out,” a senior BCCI official privy to the development averred to PTI.
An ACC insider said Sethi has now taken the control over PCB and ceded acquisition at the first it would have left a bad impression at home.
Pakistan is facing an incumbent economic crisis and inflation dwindling Pakistani Rupee Rs 277 against 1 US Dollar. Thereby maintaining a high profile sports tournament like Asia Cup, is next to impossible.
In the similar cue of events the ACC have decided to ramp up the annual budget deployed for the Afghanistan Cricket Association to 15 percent from six. The board is aiming to help the association in every way possible with an aim to revive women’s cricket in the country post Taliban rule.
