Pakistan and Sri Lanka will jointly host the Asia Cup Cricket tournament, according to a statement by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The council announced that Pakistan will host four games and Sri Lanka will host the remaining nine between August 31 and September 17 this year. The schedule for the event, which will act as a tune-up for the Cricket World Cup in India later this year, has yet to be released by the International Cricket Council.
The decision for joint hosting was made after India refused to tour Pakistan due to the strained relations between the two countries. The move is designed to avoid a tit-for-tat boycott and maintain stability in the tournament. Since 2012, India has not played any bilateral series against Pakistan on either nation’s soil. The two countries only play against each other in international tournaments on neutral grounds.
ACC Vice President Pankaj Khimji brokered the compromise between the two sides. India and Pakistan have a long and contentious history, both politically and in terms of cricket. They have fought three wars since the partition of the Subcontinent in 1947. Cricket matches between the two nations always draw a lot of interest.
Pakistan Cricket Board head Najam Sethi expressed his elation that the hybrid version of the Asia Cup had been accepted and explained that the PCB had understood BCCI’s position on the decision. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India will be divided into two groups for the tournament. The top two teams from each group will go to a Super Four, where they face off for a spot in the final match.
The Pakistan Cricket Board recently threatened to boycott the Cricket World Cup if India did not play in Pakistan. However, with Khimji’s help, the compromise will allow the tournament to proceed as planned.
