The 2023 edition of the continental championship – Asia Cup, will be played at a neutral venue instead of Pakistan, confirmed Asian Cricket Council chief Jay Shah. The tournament was originally set to be played under the care of PCB, as per the International Cricket Council’s Future Tours Programme.
“We’ll have Asia Cup 2023 at a neutral venue. It’s the govt which decides over the permission of our team visiting Pakistan so we won’t comment on that but for the 2023 Asia Cup, it is decided that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue,” the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah told ANI after the 91st Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.
The tournament was played in a neutral venue in its earlier edition as well, after an economic and political crisis engulfed host nation Sri Lanka. The host nation had started off the tournament in a terrible manner, losing their opener against Afghanistan, but ended up clinching the trophy in a spirited campaign under captain Dasun Shanaka.
If the tournament is hosted at a neutral venue like UAE, the advantage is expected to be with the Pakistan side, who have done fairly well in those conditions off late. The team reached the finals of the T20 World Cup in 2021 and then reached the final of the Asia Cup in 2022.
