The 15th edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament is imminent on and from September 2020, and Pakistan is scheduled to be the host country. However the Indian Cricket Team, who lifted the trophy in the last edition of the championship back in 2018 in Dubai, are not to be the ‘defending champions’ this year, because the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have made it official that Team India will not be setting foot in their immediate neighbouring country.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been on a verbal feud with the BCCI in the recent past. From raising question on security to declaring India ‘unsafe’ for cricket, PCB received fire straight from the BCCI vice president Mahim Verma, who openly stated to PCB: “They should look at security in their own country first and think about it first. We are capable enough to handle our country and security here.”
Established in 1983, the Asian Cricket Council inaugurated announced the commencement of Asia Cup, a bi-annual ODI and T20 international championship, with its motto being to ‘promote goodwill between Asian countries.’ As of now, India has been crowned the champions most, with 7 times, with the last trophy in 2018 by defeating Bangladesh in the final.
After the announcement of their bitter rivals as the host country for the T20 tournament, a BCCI official said in a recent interview that the hitch lies on the option of a ‘neutral venue’, and not Pakistan itself as the hosts.
“The question isn’t about the PCB hosting the tournament. It is about the venue and as things stand now, it is quite clear that we would need a neutral venue. There is no way that an Indian team can visit Pakistan to even participate in a multi-nation event like the Asia Cup.” the official told IANS.
However, he further stated that India’s possibility to be a part of the tournament depends on the venue, and the defending champions are not to see eye to eye as Pakistan as the hosts.
“If the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is ok with an Asia Cup minus India then it is a different ball game. But if India is to participate in the Asia Cup, then the venue cannot be Pakistan,” he added.
A similar situation happened in the last edition of Asia Cup, where Pakistan was reluctant to send their cricket team to the formerly selected hosts India. However, the ACC finally shifted the venue to Dubai, and the official recalled on this incident: “A neutral venue is always an option. BCCI did it in 2018.”
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