The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is currently “exploring a potential changein the venue for the Super 4 stages of the Asia Cup” due to persistentheavy rainfall in Colombo, as reported by The Indian Express. Theparticipating teams have been informed about the unfavorable weatherconditions in Sri Lanka’s capital, and alternative locations like Pallekeleand Dambulla are being considered.
“While the first match in Colombo is scheduled for September 9,” the ACCis expressing concern about the gloomy weather forecasts.
“With two more matches still to be played in Pakistan,” the ACC isexpected to make a final decision on the venue within the next 24-48 hours.The ACC’s decision to schedule the Asia Cup during Sri Lanka’s rainy seasonhas faced significant criticism.
Najam Sethi, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)Management Committee, expressed his disappointment following thecancellation of the highly anticipated Pakistan-India match in the 2023Asia Cup due to rain at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, SriLanka.
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Sethi revealed that during his tenure, he strongly advocated for hostingAsia Cup matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avoid weather-relatedinterruptions. He posted on social media platform X, “How disappointing!Rain mars the greatest contest in cricket. But this was forecast. As PCBChair, I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made toaccommodate Sri Lanka. Too hot in Dubai, they said. But it was as hot whenthe Asia Cup was played there last time in Sep 2022 or when IPL was playedthere in April 2014 and Sep 2020. Politics over sport. Unforgivable.”
It’s important to note that Sri Lanka became a co-host for the 2023 AsiaCup after India declined to travel to Pakistan for the event. A compromisesuggested by Sethi, a hybrid model, was adopted, with four matches of theAsia Cup 2023 being played in Pakistan and the remaining matches in SriLanka. This decision has faced criticism due to the weather-relateddisruptions in Sri Lanka.
