Final Decision For Hosting Asia Cup 2023 Will be Taken After IPL 2023 Final

A final decision about the nation or nations hosting the Asia Cup 2023 will be made in conjunction with the IPL final game, which will be attended by a number of prominent members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Thursday.

Jay Shah’s Statement on Asia Cup 2023

“As of this present, no decision has been made regarding the hosting of the Asia Cup. The senior officials from Bangladesh, the Afghanistan Cricket Board, and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) are travelling to see the IPL final even though we are preoccupied with the IPL. In due course, we will have a conversation and make a decision,” Jay Shah told PTI.

Jay Shah confirms “Head of Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will attend the IPL final and the plan for the Asia Cup set to be formed”. [Sportstar] pic.twitter.com/hTLvhBAVZ6

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 25, 2023

The PCB chairman Najam Sethi proposed a “Hybrid Model” where four games are intended to be staged in their country. Pakistan is the hosts of this year’s Asia Cup 2023, but the Indian cricket team cannot go to the neighbouring nation without the Central government’s approval.

Although the ACC has not officially stated anything, it has been learned through ACC insiders that Sethi’s suggested hybrid model—in which India plays all of its games at neutral locations while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan play four preparatory matches in Pakistan—seems like a workable alternative.

The PCB wanted the two India-Pakistan games to take place in Dubai, but they will instead be played in Sri Lanka.

Jay Shah To Call Meeting of Executive Committee

“ACC president Jay Shah will call a meeting of the executive committee to make an official statement. The PCB is OK with playing India anywhere neutral. Even though they would prefer Dubai because it would result in higher gate receipts, they are open to playing in another nation (read: Sri Lanka) as long as the ACC matches the gate receipts amount (USD 0.5 million) that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) received from the Indo-Pak games in Dubai in 2022, an ACC source with knowledge of the situation told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

It is clear that neither BCCI, ICC, nor the host broadcasters will support an India-Pakistan World Cup match taking place in Bangladesh, despite PCB’s insistence that hosting the World Cup in India is subject to government approval and should be treated separately from Asia Cup 2023 hosting rights.

This year’s Asia Cup 2023 window runs from September 1 through September 17.