ACC’s unilateral decision on Asia Cup venue irks PCB

LAHORE: The planning for the final stage of the Asia Cup has been disrupted due to a deadlock between the PCB and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

The PCB has called for an immediate meeting of the ACC for its unilateral decisions without taking one of the host boards into the loop. Initially, the ACC had indicated moving the last five Asia Cup matches to Hambantota due to adverse weather conditions in Colombo, a decision the PCB supported. However, the ACC has since reversed this decision and informed the PCB that the matches will stay in Colombo as originally scheduled.

This has left the PCB deeply concerned on two fronts. First, they fear that the matches in Colombo, including the high-stakes Pakistan vs India Super Four fixture, may be affected by rain. Colombo has experienced heavy rainfall in recent days, causing flooding near the Khettarama Stadium.

Secondly, the PCB is irked by what appears to be the ACC making unilateral decisions regarding the tournament's schedule, even though Pakistan is hosting the event. The ACC initially sent an email to stakeholders confirming the shift to Hambantota but later sent another email contradicting this decision, stating that the matches would remain in Colombo.

According to Cricinfo, originally, the PCB had proposed hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan, but the BCCI declined due to government restrictions on traveling to Pakistan. Consequently, most of the tournament was moved to Sri Lanka.

However, after the Pakistan vs. India match in Pallekele was washed out, concerns grew that the weather might severely impact the entire tournament. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva stated that Colombo would "definitely" host the matches as scheduled.

He clarified that discussions about moving the games to Hambantota were only in the preliminary stages, and no confirmation had been given to stakeholders regarding the change. Despite reports suggesting all boards had agreed to move the matches to Hambantota, logistical issues still need to be addressed for such a shift to occur.

In defense of the original scheduling, Jay Shah, the ACC president, explained that 50-over games in the UAE in September presented different challenges compared to T20 tournaments. He emphasised the need to prioritise players' well-being and readiness for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.