Asia Cup on schedule either in Sri Lanka or UAE: PCB CEO

Pakistan Cricket Board is determined to host the Asia Cup 2020 this year either in the United Arab Emirates or Sri Lanka. PCB CEO Wasim Khan has asserted that the six-nation tournament will be staged this year.

“The Asia Cup will go ahead. The Pakistan team returns from England on 2nd September so we can have the tournament in September or October,” Khan said at a media conference in Karachi.

The PCB, it appears, is trying to sabotage the plans for the Indian Premier League 2020. What it didn’t realise that an Asia Cup without India will neither have appropriate value for media rights nor for sponsorships.

The continental tournament is scheduled between India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and a qualifying nation.

The Asia Cup has been switched to the T20 format as a warm-up event to the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic uncertainty looms large on the World Cup in Australia this year.

The International Cricket Council is yet to take a final call on the World Cup even though Cricket Australia itself is not keen to stage the event in October-November this year.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, looking to stage the Indian Premier League in the window expected to be created by the deferment of the World Cup, has insisted that there was no point in playing the Asia Cup if the World Cup were not held this year.

The BCCI has also said that it will not entertain any other assignment that interferes with the IPL plans.

PCB CEO has rejected speculation that the event could be scrapped to make space for the currently suspended IPL.

“The Asia Cup will go ahead. The Pakistan team returns from England on 2nd September so we can have the tournament in September or October,” he said at a media conference in Karachi.

“There are some things which will only get clear in the due course of time. We are hopeful of having the Asia Cup because Sri Lanka has not had too many cases of the Coronavirus. If they can’t do it, then UAE is also ready,” he is reported as saying.

Khan also insisted that the Asia Cup host Pakistan had agreed to allow Sri Lanka to stage the event this year, while the PCB may host the next edition.

“We are to go to New Zealand in December after hosting Zimbabwe at home. South Africa are ready to tour in January-February to play two or three Tests and some T20 matches,” he disclosed.

Khan said the board was looking at a November window for completing the Pakistan Super League’s remaining five matches.

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