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Asia Cup 2023 To Be Held in Pakistan; India to Play At Neutral Venues


image-lfladubpVirat Kohli (Source: AP Newsroom)

In what comes as a piece of major news for cricket fans across the globe, the much debated Asia Cup 2023 which is to be played in the 50-over format, in all probability, will be held in Pakistan as originally planned. However, the Indian games might be transferred to an overseas venue which could be either UAE, Oman, Sri Lanka or England.

The news comes after recent meetings between the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) haven't been fruitful enough to draw a conclusion. Moreover, the two boards have been at loggerheads for years over various issues and this one has been on the table for quite some time.

It has been informed by ESPNCricinfo that India matches which will be around five, are likely to be held at one venue which is deemed more feasible.

With 13 matches planned for the six-team event which includes the final, there's a high chance the arch-rivals India and Pakistan play thrice.

To be held in September, the event will be played in a format similar to the one in 2022 where teams were divided into two groups first and later, advanced to the next stage i.e Super4s.

Talking about the venues, Oman and UAE stand as frontrunners to stage the continental tournament whereas Sri Lanka seems to have a slightly lesser chance compared to them. On the other hand, England only have an outside opportunity due to the massive fanbase present there and is possible if all the members agree.

The decision on the venue is mostly dependent on the weather factor but UAE could not be ruled out because of the fact that IPL 2020 and 2021 were played in high temperatures there.

The discussions started informally between the PCB members that eventually reached the meeting between the board members of the ACC and different countries. Not just this, all the nations in principle have agreed to the proposal and it remains to be seen which country gets the nod to host the showpiece event along with Pakistan.

Previously, many of the marquee tournaments have been staged at multiple venues in Asia including the 1996 World Cup and 2011 World Cup along with the 2021 T20 World Cup.