Sri Lanka is likely to host the upcoming Asia Cup with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) set to move the tournament from Pakistan.This development takes place after India had previously announced their decision of not traveling to the neighbouring nation for the tournament.The hosting rights of the sixteenth edition of the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be held between 2-17 September, were initially with Pakistan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), however, made its stance very clear by opting for venue relocation.
ACC has always maintained that in principle the 'hybrid model' is unacceptable and the budgetary sanctions can never be passed. Also, it's not about Pakistan hosting its own matches. It also means that if India and Pakistan are in same group, the third team will be travelling to and fro between Dubai and a city in Pakistan,” a source in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) said, as per quotes in PTI.“Also logistically, the broadcasters wouldn't want to send separate units in two countries. Sri Lanka, just like UAE, doesn't require inter-city flights, whether you play at the Khettarama (Premadasa Stadium), SSC or Galle or Kandy,” the source further elaborated on the rationale.It is also reported that besides Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have also supported the idea of the competition taking place in a solitary venue, as opposed to the hybrid model which requires teams to switch between countries.
