Final leg of Asia Cup matches to be performed in Colombo as scheduled

The PCB has reluctantly agreed to have the final 5 matches of the continuing Asia Cup performed in Colombo, as scheduled. This is regardless of the Pakistan board having strongly objected to the video games staying in Colombo and never shifting to Hambantota, in addition to the way by which the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) made that call.

The PCB had been on board with plans to maneuver the Colombo matches to Hambantota, on account of rains being forecast in Colombo throughout the subsequent ten days – this data is known to have been supplied by Sri Lanka’s division of meteorology. On Monday night, and on Tuesday morning, the ACC seemed to be engaged on the understanding that the video games would shift to Hambantota.

But all of a sudden, round noon on Tuesday, the ACC despatched a mail to the stakeholders stating that the matches could be performed in Colombo as initially scheduled. This incensed the PCB officers, who not solely would have most popular the matches to have been performed in Hambantota however had been additionally alarmed that the ACC had made this choice unilaterally, with out adequately consulting them, the hosts of the match.

In response, the PCB known as for a direct ACC govt board assembly, and has additionally despatched a letter to ACC president Jay Shah, protesting the decision-making course of on the ACC. But past pulling out of the match, there’s little the PCB can do now. While deeply troubled by the occasions of Tuesday, the PCB seems unlikely to take a drastic step.

On Tuesday afternoon, Shah himself made an announcement as ACC president, which addressed the matter of the match’s scheduling.

“All the full members, media rights holder, and in-stadia rights holders were initially hesitant to commit to hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan,” Shah stated on this assertion. “This reluctance stemmed from concerns related to the security and economic situation prevailing in the country.”

However, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have visited Pakistan for bilateral excursions since 2019, and have additionally performed matches there within the group stage of the continuing Asia Cup. Neither group has publicly expressed a reluctance to play there, nor have their boards expressed a reluctance to ship groups to Pakistan. In truth, two BCCI officers – board president Roger Binny and vice-president Rajeev Shukla – have visited Lahore over the previous two days, and had been hosted by the governor of (Pakistani) Punjab.

The background to all of that is that the PCB had initially needed the entire match to be performed in Pakistan, however the BCCI refused on the idea that their authorities wouldn’t permit the group to journey to Pakistan. Much of the match was then shifted to Sri Lanka.

This appeared a workable compromise, till the Pakistan vs India match in Pallekele was rained out on Saturday, prompting fears that the entire match could be severely affected by the climate.

In any case, the SLC is happy the match will keep in Colombo, and has at all times most popular the match to be performed there, as it’s logistically the simplest metropolis by which to host a multi-team match. SLC chief govt Ashley de Silva advised ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday that one of many causes the ACC determined to maintain the video games in Colombo was as a result of “a lot of fans had already made arrangements to watch the matches in Colombo” and since “the last few days it hasn’t been raining as much” within the metropolis.

He additionally cited Sri Lanka’s largely profitable historical past with internet hosting ODIs. In the final ten years, 79 of the 84 males’s ODIs performed within the nation have been accomplished. Of the 5 deserted matches, Saturday’s recreation was the one match to be deserted within the month of September, which traditionally will not be an particularly moist month.

Jay Shah factors to ‘a number of adjustments’ in PCB for confusion

In his assertion, Shah additionally stated, “In my capacity as ACC President, I was committed to finding a viable and mutually agreeable solution. To this end, I had accepted the hybrid model that was proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the ACC management. However, it’s important to note that the leadership of the PCB underwent several changes, and this resulted in some back-and-forth negotiations, particularly regarding crucial aspects such as tax exemption and insurance for matches.”

In response to preliminary PCB ideas that the match be performed in Pakistan and the UAE – aired once more in current days given the climate in Sri Lanka – Shah stated there was a distinction between taking part in 20-over video games and 50-over video games within the UAE in September.

“The Asia Cup 2022 edition was played in the UAE in the T20 format. It’s important to emphasize that the dynamics of a T20 tournament cannot be directly compared to those of a 100-over One-day format. In this context, ACC members received feedback from their respective high-performance teams, expressing concerns about playing One-day matches in the UAE in the month of September. Such a schedule could have potentially led to player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup.

“The decision-making course of concerning the Asia Cup 2023 format and venue was guided by a honest need to prioritise the well-being of the gamers, in addition to the overarching pursuits of the game. Ultimately, the aim was to strike a steadiness that may permit for a aggressive and profitable match whereas guaranteeing the well being and readiness of the taking part groups for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.”