PCB Chief Ehsan Mani drops a hint at Pakistan giving up Asia Cup hosting rights

India had the hosting rights for the Asia Cup tournament in 2018, but it was played in the United Arab Emirates as India’s cricket body, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could not guarantee visas for the Pakistan players. Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ehsan Mani on Wednesday dropped a big hint that his country might eventually give up the hosting rights for Asia Cup 2020.

It should be noted that India’s cricket body, BCCI has already made it very clear that the Indian national cricket team will not be taking part in the Asia Cup if the tourney is hosted in Pakistan. The BCCI asked PCB to organize India’s games at a neutral venue and the matter will be discussed in the next meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

PCB chairman’s remarks came while speaking at the launch event of the Pakistan Super League (2020) which will go all guns blazing from Thursday and will be hosted in Pakistan for the first time since the inception of the league in 2016. Mani further clarified that the venue for Asia Cup 2020 will be decided after considering the views of all stakeholders in the Asian Cricket Council.

“We have to ensure that the earnings of the associate members are not affected. It is not so much about the full members but about the associate members,” PCB chief Ehsan Mani was quoted as saying by Outlook India.

Details of the venue will be finalized in ACC’s next meeting

The complete details of the venue for the Asia Cup tournament will be finalized in ACC’s next meeting which will be held in March. Previously, Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan claimed that Pakistan will boycott the World T20 tournament in India in 2021 if the BCCI doesn’t send its team for the Asia Cup in Pakistan. However, he later said his remarks were interpreted differently and taken out of context by the media reporters.

It has been a long time since India and Pakistan have played a bilateral series. They have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 when Pakistan toured India for a limited-overs series. Since then, a number of planned tours by both teams have been canceled or aborted owing to political factors. Due to the ongoing political fights between the two nations, India and Pakistan have only locked horns with each other in major ICC competitions since early 2013.