The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will decide on an alternative 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 Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will decide on an alternative 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 hosting rights for the Asian Cup were initially given to Pakistan and would be held in September 2023, but ACC Chairman Shah announced in October last year that India would not tour Pakistan.
It should be noted that three venues in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, are strong contenders to host the tournament, but the decision has been put on hold for now. All heads of ACC member states attended the emergency meeting, which was called at the behest of PCB Chairman Sethi after the ACC published the continental body’s schedule, in which Pakistan was not named as host.
A senior BCCI official familiar with this told PTI: “ACC members met today and there was a very positive discussion. But the decision to change the venue was postponed until March. But rest assured that India will not go to Pakistan, the tournament itself will be moved to another place. Without the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, sponsors will pull out of the tournament. ,
An ACC source said that Sethi recently became the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and if he backs out at the first meeting, it would reflect poorly on his country. Pakistan is currently facing economic crisis and inflation. Hosting a big tournament like the Asian Cup would prove to be a profitable business for the PCB, even if the ACC concedes it.
So, strategically, if the tournament takes place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is a chance that all member countries will get their share of the broadcast revenue as well. 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 help the Afghan Board in every possible way so that women’s cricket can be restored in the country. The Taliban have banned women from gambling.
Disclaimer:Prabhasakshi has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.