The decision on whether the Asia Cup will be hosted in a neutral venue will have to wait as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC)’s meeting, which was to be held in Dubai on Tuesday, has been postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
“Some of our colleagues from the far east could not travel due to the outbreak of coronavirus. So, it was decided to postpone it till the end of the month,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Ehsan Mani, told Sportstar on Sunday.
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The PCB chief also stated that the meeting will now be held later in the month, during the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah were to attend the ACC meeting.
But over the last few days, around 730 cases of coronavirus were reported in the UAE, creating panic among the travellers and the locals.
A couple of days ago, Ganguly had stated that the Asia Cup will be played at a neutral venue -- in the United Arab Emirates. However, Mani clarified that no decision has been taken yet. “We have the hosting rights. It’s a decision that we will take in the interest of all the Asian cricket council members. It’s not about Pakistan or India, it’s about what’s important for the ACC,” Mani said.
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International cricket returned to Pakistan recently, with the country hosting bilateral series and the Pakistan Super League. But with chances of India not travelling there due to security woes, the tournament could, in the end, be shifted to UAE or Bangladesh.
“A lot of money that we raise from these matches goes towards the supporting the cricketing nations in Asia. So, we will have to take a call keeping everything in mind,” the PCB chief said.
In an interview to this publication earlier, Mani had stated that the PCB will abide by whatever decision is taken by the ACC on hosting the Asia Cup -- which is scheduled to be held in September.
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