Play Asia Cup out of country or withdraw from event, Pakistan given two options?

India media claims SL, BD, Afghanistan back New Delhi’s push of moving event out of Pakistan

KARACHI (Web Desk) - As the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) awaits executive committee meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), Indian media reports said that the PCB was left with no option but to either play the Asia Cup in its entirety at a venue other than Pakistan or to withdraw from the tournament.

The tournament is now just two months away but Indian media reports suggested a decision had already been made outside the offices.

The Press Trust of India (PTI)'s report claimed that key ACC members Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, had “all backed the BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) push for moving the tournament out of Pakistan”.

The ‘push’ in question is the one that BCCI secretary and ACC president Jay Shah had reportedly made on the sidelines of the Indian Premier League final on May 27 in the presence of the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket representatives.

According to reports, the SL was ready to host the Asia Cup if it was officially moved out of Pakistan and its bid was being backed by other members including the BCCI. Reportedly, the PCB has turned down Sri Lanka’s offer for a three-match one-day international series around Pakistan’s two-Test tour to the country in July.

If, according to what the reports claim, the “hybrid model” is not accepted, that could see the PCB withdraw the Pakistan team from the upcoming World Cup, which is to be played in October-November in India.

The problem could extend to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the hosting rights of which were awarded to Pakistan two years ago and the BCCI could once again, under pressure from its central government, refuse to travel across the border.