Asia Cup 2023: India’s matches at the Asia Cup later this year will be held at a neutral venue as both BCCI and PCB work towards a swift resolution. The two cricket boards were in a public standoff, with India unwilling to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The PCB in response threatened to boycott the ICC ODI World Cup in India. Now the issue seems resolved, with games set to be held in Pakistan, while India’s matches are to be held in either Oman, Sri Lanka or UAE. Follow India vs Pakistan LIVE Updates on voiceofjustice.IN
As per ESPNCricinfo, the BCCI and the PCB have agreed to host India’s matches for the Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue. After a huge standoff, the two cricket boards are working towards a swift resolution with the tournament set to be played in September. While Pakistan will host all other matches, India’s five games including the games against Pakistan will be shifted to a neutral venue.
UAE, Sri Lanka, Oman and even England are considered options for the games. In the event of India reaching the final, the match will also be held at a neutral venue. India and Pakistan have been drawn together in the qualifier, and will once again face other in the Super 4s. Should the stars align, fans could be treated to a triple India vs Pakistan encounter in a matter of 13 days.
The decision was made after the PCB officials met with all members of the Asian Cricket Council last week in Dubai. PCB chief Najam Sethi represented his board, while India had Arun Dhumal and Jay Shah, also the president of ACC, as their representatives. After two rounds of talks, a decision was made.
A separate group has been allotted to plan for the fixtures and the schedule of the tournament. The neutral venue will likely depend on the weather conditions. While UAE has previously hosted IPL and Pakistan home games, the temperatures reach 40 degree celsius in early September. Oman in comparison offers similar conditions but the temperatures remain lower. The country hosted the qualifiers of the 2021 T20 World Cup.
