Asia Cup comes to UAE as Pakistan says no to India
kuala lumpur — The Asia Cup cricket tournament has been moved from India to the UAE over Pakistan’s refusal to cross the border, as relations simmer between the arch rivals, the Asian Cricket Council said on Tuesday.
“This year’s Asia Cup is moved out of India to the UAE and will be held from September 13-28,” said Sultan Rana, Asian Cricket Council development and event manager. The biennial event was due to be held in India in September.
India has suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan since the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.
However, India has continued to square off with Pakistan in international events like the 2016 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, the World Twenty20 at home and the 2017 Champions Trophy in England. Rana said six Asian teams will compete in the 50-over Asia Cup.
Meanwhile, Rana added that the ACC Emerging Asia Cup will now be hosted jointly by Pakistan and Sri Lanka in December this year. India will play its Emerging Cup matches in Sri Lanka. —
kuala lumpur — Cricket’s Asia Cup has been moved from India to the UAE over Pakistan’s refusal to cross the border, as relations simmer between the two neighbouring countries, the Asian Cricket Council said on Tuesday.
The biennial event was due to be held in India in September, sparking protests from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) who called for the event to be relocated.
“This year’s Asia Cup is moved out of India to the UAE and will be held from September 13-28,” Sultan Rana, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) development and event manager, told AFP.
The Asia Cup has been marred by strained Indo-Pak relations since its inception when the UAE hosted it in 1983. Two years later, India pulled out of the event in Sri Lanka, while Pakistan refused to send its team to India when it hosted the cup in 1991. With Pakistan and India unable to host, Bangladesh held three straight Asian Cups from 2012 to 2016.
Rana said six Asian teams will compete in the 50-over Asia Cup.
“India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the five top teams while, there will be a qualifying round to select the sixth team,” said Rana, a former Pakistan first class player.
Meanwhile, according to a PTI report, Dubai and Abu Dhabi will be hosting the matches after all the member nations of ACC agreed unanimously for the change during a meeting at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters. The BCCI was represented by its CEO Rahul Johri, who placed the request during the meeting chaired by PCB chairman Najam Sethi.
“Johri apprised the ACC board of the current situation. The BCCI has got a clearance that they can play Pakistan at a neutral venue. While it is a given for ICC tournaments, Asia Cup being an ACC tournament needed a government approval. Once the approval to allow Indian team play Pakistan at a neutral venue was agreed upon, the boards request was placed,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on the condition of anonymity. He agreed that in current scenario, chances of hosting Pakistan was next to nil. The Indian team is expected to play its matches in the second week of the tournament as they would have just completed their tour of England. “UAE will be facilitating the organisation but all the other modalities remain same. The Star Sports will be broadcasting the tournament,” the official further informed.—