While the inclusion of Dravid and Rohit Sharma in the meeting is confirmed, the method of their participation—whether in-person or via video conference—is yet to be confirmed.

After much anticipation and excitement, the Asian Cricket Council has finally announced the dates and venues for the 16th edition of the Asia Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from August 31 to September 17 and will adopt a hybrid model, with four matches being held in Pakistan and the remaining nine matches taking place in Sri Lanka.

The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup will feature two groups, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the Super Four stage. The ultimate showdown will feature the top two sides from the Super Four stage battling it out in the grand finale.

Groupings for the tournament have been finalized, with India, Pakistan, and Nepal grouped together in one pool, while Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka make up the other pool. Sri Lanka will enter the tournament as defending champions, having emerged victorious over Pakistan in last year’s final held in the United Arab Emirates in a Twenty20 format.

The previous 50-over Asia Cup took place in 2018, also in the UAE, where India claimed victory in an enthralling final against Bangladesh. Out of the 15 editions held thus far, two have been played in the T20 format, with the most recent being in 2016.

The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup will be contested in the 50-over format, providing valuable preparation for the participating teams ahead of the upcoming One Day International World Cup, which is scheduled to be hosted by India in October-November.

Following the India-Pakistan dispute, there are indications that Sri Lanka could be chosen as the venue for Asia Cup matches involving India, as the cricketing powerhouse has declined to visit Pakistan. An official from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) stated that a formal announcement regarding the venue is expected in the upcoming week. Due to the longstanding political tensions and lack of matches held on each other’s soil since 2012, India and Pakistan typically face each other in international tournaments at neutral locations.

The unnamed board official mentioned that it is highly likely that some of the matches will be held in Sri Lanka, although official confirmation is yet to be received. Despite facing an economic crisis that led to defaulting on foreign debt and seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund, Sri Lanka’s cricket board expressed its willingness to host matches. The official emphasized that despite the economic downturn, the country has the capability to organize an international tournament.

During the economic crisis, Sri Lanka successfully hosted the Australian cricket team, which played a series of T20 matches, ODIs, and Tests. The crisis resulted in widespread protests and the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was accused of corruption and mismanagement.

To avoid a potential boycott of the World Cup in India by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been exploring alternatives to hold the Asia Cup at a neutral venue in September. The other participating nations in the tournament are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is making preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup, but this time Pakistan may not be part of the tournament, as reported by The Telegraph India.

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and ACC chairman, has clearly communicated to the other member nations that they will not accept the proposed “hybrid model” suggested by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Shah recently held discussions with the heads of member nations and put forward a proposal to host the tournament at a single venue, specifically Sri Lanka.

Under the PCB’s hybrid model, the initial four matches of the group stage in the primary phase would be played in Pakistan, while the subsequent phase, including matches involving India and the finals, would take place at a neutral venue. In this scenario, Pakistan would play their group stage match against Nepal on their home ground. Similarly, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan would also play their pool matches in Pakistan. The PCB had identified Dubai as a preferred neutral location within this hybrid framework.

According to the report, Pakistan will be informed during the next executive board meeting of the ACC that all other participating nations have agreed to play in Sri Lanka.

As the designated hosts, the PCB will have to comply and play in Sri Lanka or withdraw from the tournament. In that case, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will be the four participating teams, with the inclusion of a fifth team yet to be decided.

India’s refusal to tour Pakistan and the rejection of the hybrid model may put pressure on Pakistan to contemplate pulling out of the World Cup. The PCB has reportedly informed ICC officials that their participation in the World Cup depends on government clearance.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) fears that the cancellation of the India-Pakistan match in the upcoming Asia Cup will cause a huge financial loss. In addition, channels seeking to buy broadcast rights may also have to hear a strong message, the ACC said.

India has been objecting to the 2023 Asia Cup being held in Pakistan. For some time now, there has been a fight between the board officials of the two countries. The ACC fears that they will face losses in this fight.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah had earlier told the Asian Cricket Council that if the Asia Cup is held in Pakistan, then the Indian team will not participate in it. The official had offered to host the match in the UAE instead of Pakistan.

However, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi made it clear that he would not accept his proposal in any way. He said this at a meeting of the Executive Board of acc.

Meanwhile, at least two matches between India and Pakistan are scheduled to be held in the Asia Cup. If these games do not happen, then there will be a huge financial loss, the ACC said. Apart from this, if the matches are not played, the channels that want to buy the rights can also put the responsibility for their loss on the Asian cricket council.

According to the plan, the Asia Cup is scheduled to start on September 9. However, it has not yet been decided who will get the media rights.