Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani said that we are optimistic about hosting India in 2023 Asia cup.
He hopes that the political tensions between two arch-rivals will mellow down back then and added that Sri Lanka who was given hosting for the 2021 Asia cup will now host the tournament in 2022.
“In recent days there has been some positive signs through backdoor channels and hopefully the ice will melt in the relations,” he told the Jang newspaper in an interview on Wednesday.
Mani further asserted that if India visits Pakistan to play cricket it will be the biggest “breakthrough” for Pakistan cricket as the cricketing rivalry between the two countries is bigger than Ashes.
He clarified that looking at the current circumstances holding Asia Cup in 2021 is not possible as two Asian powerhouses India and Pakistan will be busy in their respective series in June which was supposed to be the window for Asia Cup in 2021.
As India will be competing against New Zealand in June for the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship Finals scheduled on 18th June 2021 at Southampton and Pakistan will be hosting the remaining matches of PSL season 6.
“There was a small window [for the Asia Cup] in June in which we are going to play the rest of the Pakistan Super League matches,” Mani said.
“The Indian team will play the final of the Test Championship against New Zealand. They have to go to England two weeks ago and stay in quarantine so the Indian team is also busy,” he added.
He also concluded by stating that he hadn’t listen to any news internally from the Indian cricket board about sending their B team for the Asia Cup.
Mani said the revenue earned from the Asia Cup would be spent on promoting cricket in associate countries, and that the Asian Cricket Council would be guaranteed a proper income from the tournament only if all the teams took part in the regional competition.
Mani also assured that they have been given assurance from ICC about our participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled in India in 2021.
