The Asia Cup, which was originally awarded to India, will now be hosted in Abu Dhabi and Dubai between September 13 and 28.
The decision was taken by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) proposed that the tournament be played in the United Arab Emirates.
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“The Asia Cup was to be hosted by India. The tournament will be hosted by India, but it will be played at UAE, in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. It was our proposal, and the entire Asian Cricket Council board accepted it,” BCCI acting secretary, Amitabh Chaudhary told Sportstar .
Though Chaudhary did not divulge the reason behind the shift, it is understood that the political tensions between India and Pakistan led to the tournament being shifted to the Arab nation.
BACK TO 50-OVER FORMAT
Most importantly, the Asia Cup—which became a T20 fixture in 2016—will return to its old format. “It will be a fifty-over-a-side tournament as usual,” Chaudhary said.
The Asia Cup will feature full members India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The sixth team will be determined via a playoff that includes UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal, Oman and Papua New Guinea.
PAKISTAN TO HOST ACC AGM
It was also decided that the 2018 Emerging Teams’ Asia Cup will be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Originally slated for April, the tournament has been moved to December. It is also learnt from reliable sources that Pakistan will be hosting the next ACC Annual General Meeting later this year.
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