Reports | After India's pull-out reports, PCB agrees to host Asia Cup in UAE
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After India threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup if PCB goes ahead and hosts it in Pakistan, the PCB seems to have agreed to host the Asian showpiece event in the UAE. A BCCI official has stated that the tournament will tentatively be played in September, just ahead of the World T20 in Australia.
A couple of days ago, a BCCI official was quoted as saying that India don't have any problems if the Asia Cup is being played in Pakistan but they won't be travelling for the tournament, leaving the commercial stakeholders shell-shocked. However, that had a reverse effect on PCB's stubbornness, with the board apparently agreeing with the BCCI to host the event in a different venue. Mumbai Mirror quoted an official saying the tournament will be held in Dubai, tentatively in September, just before the start of the World Twenty20 in Australia.
“If India doesn't come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, we would also refuse participation in the 2021 T20 World Cup there,” Wasim Khan said recently but later clarified that the quote was taken out of context, reported Mumbai Mirror.
However, the BCCI is confident that the PCB would never go to the extent of boycotting an ICC event as they have a good equation with the world body and boycotting would mean bad news for them.
“Our understanding is that the Asia Cup matter is resolved, and the neutral venue will be finalised at the ACC meeting,” the BCCI official said.
PCB chief Ehasan Mani, however, said that the ACC would take a call on the issue. “It is an ACC matter and the venue will be decided at the ACC meeting,” Ehsan Mani told Mirror yesterday.
