While the World Test Championship (WTC) final is on at The Oval, with India battling hard to stay in the contest, administrators from across the Asian bloc have been involved in hectic parleys on each of the last few days trying to solve the Asia Cup logjam. And as was reported by Revsportz on 7 June, a solution seems to have been arrived at.
From what we hear, all stakeholders have agreed on the plan of Lahore hosting the first four matches of the Asia Cup, before the tournament moves to the hills of Sri Lanka for the remaining nine matches. The coastal region of Sri Lanka has been ruled out because of seasonal rains in September, and it seems most likely that the matches will be held in Pallekele on the outskirts of Kandy.
So how did the issue get sorted, and does this also mean that all uncertainty over the World Cup is also over?
The answer is a resounding yes. After this, Pakistan will have no problem in traveling to India for the World Cup, and the much-awaited India-Pakistan clash can now take place in Ahmedabad, as proposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
When it was known that the tournament itself was in jeopardy, Pankaj Khimji, vice-chairman of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and head of Oman cricket, was entrusted with the task of finding a resolution to the logjam. Multiple meetings took place between Khimji and Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary who holds the key responsibility of keeping the Asian bloc together.
Shah and Khimji were keen on two things: First, they wanted to minimise logistical challenges for the players. In other words, minimise travel. Second, they wanted to ensure that the players didn’t suffer the oppressive heat of Dubai in September. Playing a 50-over tournament is very different from playing a 20-over competition under lights in the United Arab Emirates at that time of year. This meant their choice was limited. With the monsoon still active in Bangladesh, India and the coastal belt of Sri Lanka, the ACC had to zero in on the hills for the Sri Lanka. That’s how Pallekele was chosen.
And by giving Pakistan the first four games, the ACC successfully won the loyalty of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
What this decision has also done is help in keeping the Asian bloc together, and the ACC relevant. Finally, it has sorted out the issue of Pakistan’s participation in the World Cup. Now, the schedule can be announced very soon, something that the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the stakeholders are all very keen on with hardly three and a half months left for the tournament to start.