Jay Shah cites Pakistan's 'security, economic crisis' for moving Asia Cup to Sri Lanka

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Jay Shah on Wednesday cited Pakistan's security situation and economic crisis as the reason to shift Asia Cup 2023 to Sri Lanka, as he defended the controversial decision that continues to be a matter of concern in cricketing circles

As the persistent rains in the Sri Lankan cities hosting the Asia Cup fixtures continue to disrupt the matches, ACC and Shah faced criticism about moving the event to the island nation.

The group stage match between India and Pakistan was also washed out due to rain.

The Pakistan leg of the continental tournament will end with today's match between the hosts and Bangladesh and the rest of the matches will be played in Sri Lanka only. However, there is a strong chance that heavy rains are likely to affect the upcoming Super 4 matches.

Further defending his decision, Shah — who is also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary — said that the decision to host matches in Sri Lanka was made after reluctance shown by other teams to play in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to heat, India Today reported.

"All the full members, media rights holders, and in-stadium rights holders were initially hesitant to commit to hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan. This reluctance stemmed from concerns related to the security and economic situation prevailing in the country," Shah said in a statement.

"In my capacity as ACC president, I was committed to finding a viable and mutually agreeable solution. To this end, I had accepted the hybrid model that was proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the ACC management. However, it's important to note that the leadership of the PCB underwent several changes, and this resulted in some back-and-forth negotiations, particularly regarding crucial aspects such as tax exemption and insurance for matches.

"The Asia Cup 2022 edition was played in the UAE in the T20 format. It's important to emphasise that the dynamics of a T20 tournament cannot be directly compared to those of a 100-over One-day format. In this context, ACC members received feedback from their respective high-performance teams, expressing concerns about playing One-day matches in the UAE in the month of September. Such a schedule could have potentially led to player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup.”

Shah also said that all the decisions regarding the Asia Cup 2023 were made while keeping in mind the well-being of the players ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023 in India.

"The decision-making process regarding the Asia Cup 2023 format and venue was guided by a sincere desire to prioritise the well-being of the players, as well as the overarching interests of the sport. Ultimately, the goal was to strike a balance that would allow for a competitive and successful tournament while ensuring the health and readiness of the participating teams for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023," Shah concluded.