Sri Lanka prepared to host Asia Cup if asked to, decision expected on Sunday

A decision on the venue for this year’s Asia Cup will be made on the sidelines of Sunday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) final in Ahmedabad, President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Jay Shah has said, with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) “prepared” to host the tournament if asked to. 

Officials of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), along with counterparts from Bangladesh and Afghanistan, will be in India this weekend for the IPL final, on the sidelines of which a decision on the venue for the Asia Cup is expected to be made. 

"We will hold discussions with them for outlining the future course of action in relation to Asia Cup 2023," Shah, who is also the Secretary at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in a statement. 

A decision on the venue for this year’s Asia Cup could determine if Pakistan would participate in October’s Cricket World Cup. 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who are the hosts of the Asia Cup, had offered a “hybrid” model where some matches would be staged in Pakistan, and matches involving India would be played at a neutral venue as a result of India’s refusal to tour the country. 

It is understood that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sri Lanka have been touted as possible locations for India’s matches as part of the hybrid model. 

“There has been no firm decision made on the Asia Cup, but if we are asked to host, in a hybrid model or the tournament as a whole, we are prepared for that,” SLC Secretary Mohan de Silva said.

A history of political tensions between India and Pakistan has meant a suspension in bilateral cricket ties between the countries. 

It has been reported that Pakistan have threatened to pull out of the World Cup in India in the event that their hybrid-model is rejected and they are forced to host the entire tournament outside of Pakistan. 

(Shehan Daniel)