Asia Cup 2018 shifts from India to UAE on Pakistan's request

[N.Siddiqui]

Abu Bakar Bilal Updated April 10, 2018


The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday accepted Pakistan's reservations against playing in India and decided to shift the Asia Cup 2018 to United Arab Emirates.

The decision was taken in the annual session of the ACC chaired by its president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi after Pakistan objected to playing in India.

Sethi, along with PCB CEO Subhan Ahmed, also represented Pakistan in the session which also decided that five full members — Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan — would automatically qualify to play in the cup while Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Nepal, Singapore and the hosts UAE would play the qualifiers for the sixth slot.

The meeting also decided that ACC Emerging Teams Cup 2018 would be co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka this year.

The Asia Cup 2018 — likely to be played between September 13 to 28 — would be the 14th edition of the tournament, with India playing as its defending champions.

Due to tense relations between the neighbours, India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since January 2013, but they continue to play matches in ICC tournaments.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1400762/asia-cup-2018-shifts-from-india-to-uae-on-pakistans-request

 

[N.Siddiqui]

howzat!!

 

[khail007]

If Asian cricket could not keep away from involved governments political decision then the most deserving and peaceful venue is UAE - a step in a right direction .

 

[ashok321]

Told ya so!

India has no clout.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

If Asian cricket could not keep away from involved governments political decision then the most deserving and peaceful venue is UAE - a step in a right direction .

Pakistan is getting isolated...

Other than that India actually didn't objected to it wholeheartedly, it seems...a loose in UAE from Pakistan is not that big and humiliating compared to loosing in India in front of home crowds...will create a ruckus.

 

[ghazi52]

Any isolation proposal.......................

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Any isolation proposal.......................

India will not tour Pakistan unless she stops sending aatankwadis...to Kashmir wadi.

 

[Mace]

If Asian cricket could not keep away from involved governments political decision then the most deserving and peaceful venue is UAE - a step in a right direction .

Pakistan lost a golden chance to normalise cricketing ties with India and possibly a huge opportunity to defeat India in India.

 

[war&peace]

Good move by Pakistan. If India can't play in Pakistan, we can't play in India so a neutral place is necessary and UAE seems to be the closest and neutral place. Totally fair.

 

[SorryNotSorry]

Choti Choti khushian

 

[war&peace]

Pakistan lost a golden chance to normalise cricketing ties with India and possibly a huge opportunity to defeat India in India.

But we already capitalised on the opportunity when we last met in Oval ...remember ICC Champions Trophy Final held on June 18, 2017 and we got related to each other through the beautiful relations of father and son.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

Good move by Pakistan. If India can't play in Pakistan, we can't play in India so a neutral place is necessary and UAE seems to be the closest and neutral place. Totally fair.

Right!! what goes around comes around...crowd tempers can run very high in India...many times more than in Pakistan.

 

[Mace]

But we already capitalised on the last opportunity when we met in Oval ...remember ICC Champions Trophy Final held on June 18, 2017 and we got related to each other through the beautiful relations of father and son.

Capitalised I doubt it. If anything else that tournament showcased Pak team's desperation to redeem dignity after losing to India in the first match. Now Pakistan is back in their rightful place - 6th with significant rating difference to India.

You have to be really petty to read father son relations.

 

[Kambojaric]

I have never been a fan of Najam Sethi but have to admit he is doing a good job at the helm of the PCB. Gradually returning cricket to Pakistan via PSL and increasing clout in the ICC are positive signs.

 

[ghazi52]

This decision of holding the Asia Cup in the UAE will help Pakistan as they have been playing all their home series in the country, while hosting the major part of their domestic T20 tournament, the Pakistan Super League, in Sharjah and Dubai as well.



Teams and format

Asia Cup was historically played as an ODI tournament but in 2016, just before the World T20 was to be staged, the format of the event was changed to T20s.

The same format will be followed this year as well when Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan take on each other alongside a sixth team.

The sixth side will be decided after UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman face each other in playoffs.

India are currently the defending champions after they beat Bangladesh in the final in 2016.

Other decisions

In other decisions, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were announced as the venues for the upcoming Emerging Teams Cup.

India put forward their objection of sending their team to Pakistan which resulted in the inclusion of Sri Lanka as the hosts of the Emerging cup.

Also, the ACC announced that the next yearly general meeting will be held place in Pakistan.