“Asia Cup 2022 was played in T20 format…’: Jay Shah on venue selection for 2023 edition

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah made a comprehensive statement on venue selection for the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, explaining why the UAE was not a suitable choice.

The 2023 Asia Cup is being co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup 2023 started on August 30 with two groups comprising three teams playing in a round-robin style within their group.

Shah stated that the decision to not host all of the games of the present continental tournament in Pakistan was decided in agreement with all media rights holders.

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

“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,” he added.

With the rain causing havoc in a number of matches in Sri Lanka, the game’s organisers have come under fire for shifting the competition from Pakistan. Former Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Najam Sethi on Monday questioned why the 2023 Asia Cup was not held in the UAE. Shah responded to the current circumstances and stated why the Asia Cup 2023 was moved out of Pakistan. The ACC president and BCCI secretary also discussed the back-and-forth with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) due to leadership changes.

“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 BCCI secretary said.

“The decision-making process regarding the Asia Cup 2023 format and venue was guided by a sincere desire to prioritize the well-being of the players, as well as the overarching interests of the sport. Ultimately, the goal was to strike a balance that would allow for a competitive and successful tournament while ensuring the health and readiness of the participating teams for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023,” he added.

Earlier on Saturday, the India-Pakistan game in Pallekele was called off owing to rain while Men in Blue’s second match of the group stage against Nepal was also interrupted numerous times due to rain.