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Sri Lanka was announced to be the host of the Asia Cup T20 competition this year. The event originally entitled to be hosted by Pakistan was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Here is the previous event’s champions India celebrate their victory in 2018 in UAE[/caption]
India may not participate in the Asia Cup which Sri Lanka is going to host in June, the Indian media said yesterday (18). The reason has been cited as “due to the coronavirus pandemic”.
“The Asia Cup was supposed to be played in 2020 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup but it had to be postponed after India decided to go ahead with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pakistan, who will host the tournament in a different country, however, are going to suffer another hurdle with India is all set to turn its back once again,” said Times of India yesterday.
It was all but confirmed last year that Sri Lanka is the “different country” which was going to host the event in light of the fact that Pakistan is unable to host it, as India will quit it if they are the hosts.
“Promoting goodwill in Asia”
In June 2020, following a meeting with the event’s rights holders, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they would be willing to let Sri Lanka host the tournament, with India unwilling to travel to Pakistan. Asia Cup 2021 will be a T20I tournament.
The competition was established, initially as an ODI tournament, in 1983 when the ACC was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. It was originally scheduled to be held every two years.
India to host SL as compensation
The ACC issued a press release following the June 2020 meeting stating, “in light of the impact and consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, possible venue options for the Asia Cup 2020 were discussed and it was decided to take the final decision in due course”.
When they released the 2021 calendar fixtures last December, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the event had been scheduled in Sri Lanka for the June 2021 window. The loss of hosting of event of that magnitude is a major blow for SLC coffers. An India vs. Pakistan encounter which happens mainly in the Asia Cup generally attracts a massive regional attention and TV viewership.
Also, the BCCI wants to host South Africa and New Zealand post their England series in August-September, as a preparation for the home T20 World Cup. Therefore there is a possibility of India hosting Sri Lanka in a series to make up for the absence of a tournament like the Asia Cup, the said report predicted. “… but that will spell doom for Pakistan,” it confirmed.
Larger window for IPL
Times of India added yesterday, “Further, the Asia Cup –even if it was scheduled– would’ve probably been played around the same time as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship final. If India don’t make the final, the industry would’ve preferred the Asia Cup instead. Now, chance of such a thing happening look bleak so it’s a kind of catch-22 right now,” by quoting those who are “tracking developments”.
“Australia and South Africa had initiated a battle for Boxing Day some years ago, which Cricket Australia (CA) clearly won. That battle may resume, who knows? India will fight to keep its October-November (Dussera-Diwali Festival) window to play at home and ensure the IPL gets a larger window (March, added to the April-May). These are matters that’ll test the efficacy of the upcoming FTP (ICC’s Future Tours Programme),” those in the know had said.
In the meantime, the Asia Cup not happening is likely to upset the PCB more than any other country, it is reiterated. The 2019 edition of the tournament was PCB’s to host, which the Ehsan Mani-led board had decided to first host at a neutral venue (United Arab Emirates) and later decided to share it with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
“We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out,” sources had further added.
Sri Lanka was announced to be the host of the Asia Cup T20 competition this year. The event originally entitled to be hosted by Pakistan was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Here is the previous event’s champions India celebrate their victory in 2018 in UAE[/caption]
India may not participate in the Asia Cup which Sri Lanka is going to host in June, the Indian media said yesterday (18). The reason has been cited as “due to the coronavirus pandemic”.
“The Asia Cup was supposed to be played in 2020 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup but it had to be postponed after India decided to go ahead with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pakistan, who will host the tournament in a different country, however, are going to suffer another hurdle with India is all set to turn its back once again,” said Times of India yesterday.
It was all but confirmed last year that Sri Lanka is the “different country” which was going to host the event in light of the fact that Pakistan is unable to host it, as India will quit it if they are the hosts.
“Promoting goodwill in Asia”
In June 2020, following a meeting with the event’s rights holders, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they would be willing to let Sri Lanka host the tournament, with India unwilling to travel to Pakistan. Asia Cup 2021 will be a T20I tournament.
The competition was established, initially as an ODI tournament, in 1983 when the ACC was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. It was originally scheduled to be held every two years.
India to host SL as compensation
The ACC issued a press release following the June 2020 meeting stating, “in light of the impact and consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, possible venue options for the Asia Cup 2020 were discussed and it was decided to take the final decision in due course”.
When they released the 2021 calendar fixtures last December, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced the event had been scheduled in Sri Lanka for the June 2021 window. The loss of hosting of event of that magnitude is a major blow for SLC coffers. An India vs. Pakistan encounter which happens mainly in the Asia Cup generally attracts a massive regional attention and TV viewership.
Also, the BCCI wants to host South Africa and New Zealand post their England series in August-September, as a preparation for the home T20 World Cup. Therefore there is a possibility of India hosting Sri Lanka in a series to make up for the absence of a tournament like the Asia Cup, the said report predicted. “… but that will spell doom for Pakistan,” it confirmed.
Larger window for IPL
Times of India added yesterday, “Further, the Asia Cup –even if it was scheduled– would’ve probably been played around the same time as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Championship final. If India don’t make the final, the industry would’ve preferred the Asia Cup instead. Now, chance of such a thing happening look bleak so it’s a kind of catch-22 right now,” by quoting those who are “tracking developments”.
“Australia and South Africa had initiated a battle for Boxing Day some years ago, which Cricket Australia (CA) clearly won. That battle may resume, who knows? India will fight to keep its October-November (Dussera-Diwali Festival) window to play at home and ensure the IPL gets a larger window (March, added to the April-May). These are matters that’ll test the efficacy of the upcoming FTP (ICC’s Future Tours Programme),” those in the know had said.
In the meantime, the Asia Cup not happening is likely to upset the PCB more than any other country, it is reiterated. The 2019 edition of the tournament was PCB’s to host, which the Ehsan Mani-led board had decided to first host at a neutral venue (United Arab Emirates) and later decided to share it with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).
“We’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out,” sources had further added.