Pakistan set to co-host Asia Cup 2023 with Sri Lanka

Pakistan are all set to stage the Asia Cup after the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) accepted their proposal.

This comes after India stepped back from the tour following an uneasy relationship between the two South Asian countries.

Pakistan is set to present four games, whilst the leftover nine games are due to take place in Sri Lanka.

A spokesperson for the ACC explained that the Asia Cup will begin on August 31 and continue until September 17, 2023.

It was not revealed in which venue the tournament was taking place but it is implied that India’s games will be played on the island nation.

Head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Najam Sethi explained:

“I am elated that our hybrid version for the Asia Cup has been accepted.

“Our passionate fans would have loved to see the India cricket team in action in Pakistan for the first time in 15 years, but we understand the BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) position.

“Like the PCB, the BCCI also requires government approval and clearance before crossing borders.”

Sethi also expressed his desire to negotiate one more match.

He spoke of hosting the Asia Cup and how it would benefit the likelihood of Pakistan as a stadium for more international games in the future.

If this were to come to fruition then the next sporting event would be the ICC Champions Trophy which is set to take place in 2025.

The schedule is still under work but it is believed that Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and India will be separated into groups of two, and the top two teams will enter the Super Four and play the final.

The ICC is scheduled to broadcast the schedule for the event this week.

Previously the PCB spoke of boycotting the World Cup if there was a refusal to play in Pakistan.

ACC Vice President and Oman Cricket Council President Pankaj Khimji reached an understanding between both teams.

A cricket game between India and Pakistan is the most watched competition, giving an electric atmosphere from fans gathered to support their teams.

The match between the teams is recorded as the most-watched contest in the sporting world.

The two teams last faced one another in the 2022 T20 World Cup which took place in Australia and was won by India by a total of four wickets.