The Asia Cup will now be held in 2023, Due to a lack of window in a rejigged cricket schedule that is continually prone to change amid a shifting COVID-19 situation.
The continental event was shifted from Pakistan to Sri Lanka this year, however it was cancelled due to mounting cases on the island nation.
Finding a window for the competition this year would have been exceedingly tough, given the crowded schedules of all four Asian sides until the end of the year.
In this regard, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) issued a statement.
ACC’s statement
“The Board has accordingly considered the matter very carefully and determined that the only way ahead would be to postpone the event.
“It would therefore only be feasible for this edition of the tournament to be held in 2023 as there is already an Asia Cup in 2022. Dates for the same will be confirmed in due course,” the ACC said in the statement.
The competition would have been a T20 affair this year, in preparation for the T20 World Cup in India later in October and November.
Since 2018, there has been no Asia Cup, and the competition scheduled for 2020 has been postponed because to the pandemic.
The last two editions of the competition have been won by India.
“The ACC Executive Board, in face of the risks and restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, had made the difficult decision to postpone the Asia Cup 2020 to 2021. Since then, the ACC has been working with its participants and stakeholders to try and ensure that the event is held in the year.”
“However, on account of a packed FTP, it has been concluded that there is no practical window in the year when all the teams would be available to participate,” the ACC said in its statement.
Every two years, the tournament is held.
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