Reports: Sri Lanka likely to lose Asia Cup 2022 hosting rights due to ongoing economic crisis

The Asia Cup 2022 is all scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka from August 27 to September 11. The 15th edition will be played in the T20 format between the Asian teams taking the ICC T20 World Cup into consideration which will be in Australia in October-November this year. However, it is very much likely that the tournament could be moved out of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst-ever economic crisis. The Rajapaksa administration is not in a position to pay for essential imports due to a shortage in foreign currency as the result of which the inflation rate has skyrocketed thereby affecting the daily lives of the public. The crisis has worsened so much that even the ongoing IPL 2022 is not being broadcast in the country.

Final decision likely to be taken at ICC’s quarterly meeting

According to reports in Cricket Pakistan, the worrisome financial crisis in Sri Lanka might not allow the Asia Cup to take place over there as a result of which it could be moved to a different country. However, the final decision has not been made yet. The report further states that a call regarding the change in venue will be made “at the quarterly meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) scheduled to take place in Dubai on Sunday.”

Six teams from the continent will be participating in the multi-nation tournament. Sri Lanka, defending champions India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan have qualified already for the tournament. The sixth and final team will be joining others after a qualifying tournament. The six-team tournament will be preceded by the Qualifiers, which will get underway on August 20.

The previous edition of the Asia Cup T20 was held in Bangladesh in 2016. MS Dhoni-led India defeated the hosts Bangladesh in a rain-curtailed match by eight wickets. The Men In Blue would yet again emerge triumphant in the next edition in the UAE which was played in the 50-overs format. They once again got the better of Bangladesh by three wickets in a last-ball thriller.