ACC to determine fate of PCB hosting Asia Cup in emergency board meeting on Saturday: Sources

ACC president and BCCI secretary Jay Shah earlier stated that the 2023 Asia Cup will not be hosted in Pakistan and will be played at a neutral venue.

By Vipul Kashyap Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) emergency meeting on Saturday in Baharin called by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi will decide the fate of Pakistan hosting the 2023 Asia Cup.

According to a source to ANI, "PCB newly elected chief Najam Sethi wants an urgent meeting with ACC chief and members and he expressed this wish in front of ACC members during ILT 20 opening ceremony in Dubai. Now the meeting will be in Bahrain and the main agenda of the meeting is to decide the fate of the 2023 Asia cup, whether it will be held in Pakistan or not. Most likely it will be held in another country rather than Pakistan." ACC president and BCCI secretary Jay Shah earlier stated that the 2023 Asia Cup will not be hosted in Pakistan and will be played at a neutral venue.

Last year the Asia cup was held in UAE and the probability of the nation hosting it again is high. Qatar has also shown interest in staging the tournament as a neutral venue amidst political tensions between the neighbouring countries. It has already hosted a few cricket tournaments and franchise-based cricket leagues.

All eyes will be on tomorrow's meeting which will clear the air regarding the 2023 Asia Cup host. Despite the odds being stacked against the PCB, its president Najam Sethi will leave no stone unturned to ensure that they retain the hosting rights.

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will hold an emergency meeting on February 4 in Bahrain to discuss the venue for the 2023 Asia Cup following Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi's request. The PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will face off in Bahrain over their disagreement surrounding the ACC calendar of events announcement made by the ACC president and Indian board secretary Jay Shah, which the PCB claims was made "unilaterally" without consulting the Pakistan board.

The calendar was unveiled by ACC president Jay Shah on January 5. "For some time there hasn't been any ACC Board meeting and there were a lot of decisions being made and one of them we have challenged. Now the good news is that we managed to convince them to have their Board meeting and I will be attending it," Sethi said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

During the former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja's term, tensions had been building between the two boards, particularly over the venue of the 2023 Asia Cup, which is slated to take place in Pakistan in September. However, it was cast into doubt when shortly after a BCCI meeting in October, Shah announced that the tournament would move to a neutral location because India could not travel to Pakistan. (ANI)

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