BCCI vs PCB battle puts dent on IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2023 clash

Call it poor scheduling, or a clear lack of planning venues, The Asia Cup 2023 tournament is so far making noise due to off-field reasons than on-field. Two matches played in Sri Lanka (including India vs Pakistan) were impacted by rains. Even the Super 4 fixture of IND vs PAK game on Saturday does not look promising, as heavy rains are predicted in the City of Colombo for the next 10 days.

For the uninitiated, former Sri Lankan player Sidath Wettimuny had predicted rains during the month of September. BCCI were also given the option of hosting the matches in Hambantota and Dambulla, but BCCI Secretary Jay Shah continued with the original schedule of hosting the games in Colombo.

“It is unfortunate. Maybe our rains are slightly unusual, but I think normally in September you have these rains. They were telling the other day about their earlier plan to host it in Dubai,” Wettimuny told The Indian Express.

Six matches are scheduled in Colombo in the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup, and the forecast is not inspiring for the next few days.

“Ideally with the World Cup coming soon, teams could use it to get a grip of the conditions, which are a lot similar to India, and test their combinations. This is the period they begin to fine-tune. Really hoping the weather improves over the week,” Wettimuny added.

Also Read:

BCCI vs PCB: All eyes on Rain, during IND vs PAK clash as BCCI rejects change of venue in Asia Cup

For the unversed, BCCI and PCB have been at the loggerheads ever since the announcement of the Asia Cup schedule. Former PCB chairman Najam Sethi was keen on hosting the entire Continental Cup in Pakistan or partially in UAE. However, Jay Shah did not agree to both the proposals and instead locked in Sri Lanka as the venue.

“All the full members, media rights holders, and in-stadia rights holders were initially hesitant to commit to hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan. This reluctance stemmed from concerns related to the security and economic situation prevailing in the country,” Shah said in a statement on Tuesday.

“It’s important to note that the leadership of the PCB underwent several changes, and this resulted in some back-and-forth negotiations, particularly regarding crucial aspects such as tax exemption and insurance for matches.”

Why BCCI rejected Hambantota and Dambulla were turned down to host Asia Cup matches

To note, SLC officials also suggested in July, to host the Continental Cup in Dambulla – one of the dry regions in Sri Lanka during September month. However, BCCI turned down Hambantota due to logistical reasons. Dambulla was also not locked in as the venue due to no proper hotel stays.

“Look, we are happy to have it in Sri Lanka because we have more tourists coming here. Both India and Pakistan are playing here, which means a lot of fans will be coming here which is good for our economy because we have had a tough time,” Wettimuny said.

If IND vs PAK clash gets washed out, then it would be a disaster for India as they aim to fine-tune combinations ahead of the World Cup. With the return of Shreyas Iyer, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul, India would love to test the form of players. After the Asia Cup, India will play three ODIs against Australia.

Cricket Asia Cup