The upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled for September, may see matches involving India being played in Sri Lanka instead of Pakistan due to ongoing tensions between the two arch-rivals, according to a board official.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to announce the decision officially in the coming week after concerns were raised about holding India’s games in Pakistan. Sri Lanka has expressed its willingness to host some of the matches.
Since 2012, India and Pakistan have not played each other on their respective soils in any form of the game and have faced each other only on neutral grounds during international tournaments. While the board official stated that it is highly likely that Sri Lanka will host some of the matches, no official confirmation has been received yet.
Despite facing an economic crisis that resulted in a default on its foreign debt and seeking a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka’s cricket board has affirmed its ability to host an international tournament. The country is still recovering from the economic downturn caused by the crisis, which led to protests and the removal of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
The official highlighted Sri Lanka’s past record of hosting international teams, including Australia, even during the height of the economic crisis when fuel and electricity shortages were prevalent.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had threatened to boycott the World Cup in India if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to play the Asia Cup in Pakistan. As a result, the BCCI is exploring options for hosting the six-nation tournament at a neutral venue in September. The other participating nations in the Asia Cup are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.