The Asia Cup 2022 could very well take place in Bangladesh given the economic crisis in Sri Lanka. The tournament, which is supposed to commence on August 27 and end on September 11, finds itself embroiled in uncertainties. This edition of the Asia Cup will be played in a 20-overs format, keeping in mind the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year.
The Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) is doing its level best, but internal turmoil and the ever-rising violence in the Emerald nation are a cause of concern after the new Prime Minister asked his countrymen to get ready for the “worst-ever two months in their lives”.
According to cricket.com, an undisclosed member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has said that the governing body is trying to find an alternative host, however, nothing can be confirmed.
“Bangladesh is just an option at the moment and the ACC is observing the Sri Lanka situation before coming to a final decision. UAE is definitely not an option to host matches in late August and early September,” the official said.
Sri Lanka were announced as hosts for the Asia Cup, which was initially planned for 2020, but due to the covid-19 pandemic, the competition kept on getting delayed.
UAE and Oman, who hosted the T20 World Cup last year, have been ruled out as an option due to the ongoing heatwave across the Middle-East region. Moreover, due to geopolitical problems between India and Pakistan, both countries won’t be designated as alternative hosts.
Sri Lanka is due to host Australia and Pakistan in the coming few months. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given green light the two-Test series in July while scrapping the One-Day International (ODI) series in the process.
Australia are expected to play a full-fledged tour; two-Tests, five-ODIs, and three T20 Internationals (T20I) during their stay in June-July.