Asia Cup 2023 to be held in Pakistan; neutral venue for India matches - Reports

Asia Cup 2023: The venue for the event is yet to be finalised, with reports stating that it would be held in Pakistan, whereas a neutral venue would be appointed to host the India matches.

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The 2023 Asia Cup has become a topic of debate mainly because of its venue. The tournament has been scheduled to be held in Pakistan. However, last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressed reservations about travelling to the country due to security issues and strained diplomatic relations.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) retaliated by saying it could be forced to pull itself out of the competition and the forthcoming 2023 ICC World Cup in India, meeting with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) did not seem fruitful either, while the matter was taken up with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

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Meanwhile, ESPNCricinfo has reported that BCCI and PCB might have a solution, with the latter set to retain the hosting rights for the Asian spectacle in Pakistan. At the same time, a neutral venue would be appointed for the former to host five India matches. Although the neutral venue is yet to be confirmed, it will likely be the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Sri Lanka or England.

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India and Pakistan have been pitted in the same group, while they are also set to clash in a qualifier, nearly assuring of a twin stand-off, while a third possible meeting might happen in the final. The tournament will be played in the One-Day International (ODI) format, a warm-up ahead of the CWC, with 13 games to be played in the same amount of days. Considering the format, the top two sides from each group enter the Super 4s, whereas the top two from the latter meet in the final.

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A small working group asserts specific small details before taking the final call. The weather would be one thing to be kept in mind. While UAE has a temperature of around 40 degrees celsius in September, Oman is relatively lower. In contrast, England will be soothing, and drawing top crowds in London makes the prospect even more appealing.