ACC holds meeting, no decision on Asia Cup venue yet

The members mulled over whether the Asia Cup could go ahead — possibly at a neutral venue in UAE — as per schedule in September.

PCB chief Ehsan Mani had said that the ACC needed to take a call on where the tournament could be held.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) met by teleconference on Monday to discuss the fate of the Asia Cup.

However,  Sportstar  understands that no decision has been taken yet, and the council members could hold further meetings later this month to deliberate on the issue. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, Sourav Ganguly, and secretary Jay Shah attended the meeting -- which was chaired by Bangladesh Cricket Board chief, Nazmul Hasan Papon -- and the members mulled over whether the tournament could go ahead -- possibly at a neutral venue in UAE -- as per schedule in September. 

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"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," the ACC said in a release. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board has the hosting rights of the tournament, but earlier, the BCCI had insisted that it may not be able to tour Pakistan due to security reasons.

Doubts remain

Earlier, speaking to this publication, PCB chief, Ehsan Mani, had said that the ACC needed to take a call on where the tournament could be held.

There were speculations that UAE could host the tournament. But with the coronavirus pandemic continuing to cripple global sport, and India showing keenness to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) in October-November, the question mark remains over the fate of the event. That said, if the tournament does go ahead as planned, the possible quarantine will be a concern.

The ACC Board was also apprised of the status and progress of the ACC's involvement with the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China. The Board noted with satisfaction the ongoing activities and initiatives of the ACC.