Final decision on whether Pakistan will host 2023 Asia Cup expected in March

A final decision on whether Pakistan will host the 2023 Asia Cup is expected to be taken in March. Apparently, an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting in Bahrain did not reach a breakthrough.

Pakistan are scheduled to host the 2023 Asia Cup. However, last year, ACC president and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah made it clear that they will push for a neutral venue for the tournament since India will not be traveling to Pakistan.

According to a report in ESPNCricinfo, new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi made it clear to Shah that if India don't play in Pakistan, Pakistan will also consider not playing in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

The report added that, following the deadlock, the issue will be revisited in March when the ICC and ACC meetings take place one after the other. The PCB is likely to stick to its stance in the next meeting as well. Based on the outcome of the meeting in March, the Pakistani government could take a call on whether or not their team will play the 2023 World Cup in India.

Meanwhile, all ACC members have reportedly also been asked to seek their own government's position on whether their cricket teams can travel to Pakistan. An official ACC statement over the meeting read:

"The ACC had a constructive dialogue on the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. The Board agreed to continue discussions on operations, timelines and any other specifics with a view to ensure the success of the tournament. An update on the matter would be taken on the next ACC Executive Board Meeting to be held in March 2023.”

International cricket in Pakistan came to a standstill following the 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore. Pakistan were forced to adopt the UAE as their home ground for the next decade.

Over the last couple of years, though, international cricket has returned to Pakistan. Australia toured Pakistan after 24 years in 2022, while England also visited the country recently.

India, however, haven’t played a bilateral series against their arch-rivals since 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India for the last time. India’s last international match in Pakistan was in 2008. The Asian giants only clash in ICC and ACC events.

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UAE to host Asia Cup 2023 instead of Pakistan?

Although a final decision on the Asia Cup 2023 hosts is expected in March, a report in PTI claimed that it is highly unlikely the tournament will be held in Pakistan.

A senior BCCI official was quoted as saying by the news agency:

"With India deciding against travelling to Pakistan, the tournament will have to be shifted. A tournament without Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill will have the sponsors back out.

The report added that with Pakistan currently going through an economic crisis, organizing a high-profile tournament like the Asia Cup doesn’t seem a feasible option. The UAE has thus emerged as a strong alternative since there is a greater possibility of the event being a success with regard to the financial aspects.