Asia Cup will go ahead as planned either in Sri Lanka or UAE: PCB

The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has put the tight cricketing schedule in a fix. There is still uncertainty over the international cricket resuming in Asia. But the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seems to be confident of the Asia Cup happening is September and October. Pakistan were the original hosts of the tournament but due to COVID-19 pandemic, the PCB has let Sri Lanka host the event.

The PCB CEO Wasim Khan, on Tuesday, asserted that the tournament will go ahead as planned citing that Sri Lanka has less COVID-19 cases. Moreover, he also stated that if, for some reasons, Sri Lanka doesn’t host the event, then the UAE is also ready. Pakistan team is set to leave for England on June 28 and will only return in the first week of September after which Wasim feels the Asia Cup can take place.

“The Asia Cup will go ahead. The Pakistan team returns from England on 2nd September so we can have the tournament in September or October. There are some things which will only get clear in the due course of time. We are hopeful of having the Asia Cup because Sri Lanka has not had too many cases of the Coronavirus. If they can’t do it, then UAE is also ready,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Interestingly, the PCB and BCCI are at loggerheads over the Asia Cup as the Indian board is hoping to conduct the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the September-October window if the T20 World Cup is postponed. Rather the BCCI official recently also said that if the T20 WC is not happening, then there is no point in playing the Asia Cup.

PCB looking to play the series in October-November window

Meanwhile, the PCB CEO also confirmed that they are working on the options to play cricket in October-November window opens up. He also went on to say that South Africa is likely to tour Pakistan early next year while also giving an insight over the team’s schedule.

“We are to go to New Zealand in December after hosting Zimbabwe at home. South Africa are ready to tour in January-February to play two or three Tests and some T20 matches,” Wasim Khan further added.