Officials from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are scheduled to convene with representatives of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in Dubai on Sunday and Monday. Their primary objective is to finalize the details and schedule of the ACC Asia Cup 2023, which is set to commence from August 31. The News reported this development on Friday.
An official from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) currently present at the International Cricket Council (ICC) meetings in Durban, South Africa, revealed that following the preliminary discussions, PCB officials are planning to convene with ACC representatives in Dubai over the weekend. The aim is to reach a final decision on all matters concerning the Asia Cup.
However, initial negotiations have been completed, confirming early reports that Pakistan would host only four matches.
Asia Cup 2023 | PCB-ACC officials to finalise Details in Dubai
According to the official, initially, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had only agreed to hold one Asia Cup match (Pakistan vs Nepal) in Pakistan. However, after a series of discussions between former Management Committee chairman Najam Sethi and ACC officials, it was decided to increase the number of matches hosted by Pakistan. As a result, Pakistan will now host three matches, and later a fourth match was added to the schedule.
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He added, “Pakistan will now host four matches, including Pakistan vs Nepal and nearly all the first-round matches of other groups, such as Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan.”
“Pakistan is likely to face arch-rivals India twice in a week, most probably in Dambulla, and then again if both teams qualify for the final.”
The PCB official emphasized that the location of the matches in Sri Lanka was not the primary concern; rather, the financial aspect held greater significance.
“It has already been decided that Pakistan will host only the Asia Cup 2023 matches as a host nation, while the rest of the event will be held in Sri Lanka.
What is crucial for us is the revenue we can generate by hosting the remaining matches in Sri Lanka. When we organized the event in the UAE, we were confident in generating substantial revenue through gate money, ground hoarding, and other marketing ventures. However, in Sri Lanka, it is challenging to achieve the same level of revenue. Therefore, we need to reach an understanding with the ACC to ensure that we can attain the revenues we are aiming for.”
Even during Najam Sethi’s tenure as the head of the PCB Committee, Pakistan was in talks with ACC officials to ensure that they receive an amount equivalent to what India generated by hosting the Asia Cup in the UAE the previous year.
“That’s what we are aiming for – to generate revenues comparable to what India generated when they hosted the Asia Cup last year in Dubai.”
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Aside from revenue, other issues concerning teams, officials, and journalists’ travel arrangements will also be discussed during the meeting in Dubai on Sunday.
“PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf and BCC secretary Jay Shah met a couple of days ago in Durban, where they had initial discussions on all the matters. These issues are expected to be finalized in Dubai before the official announcement.”
According to the official, it is certain that the only feasible window to host the Asia Cup is during the first fifteen days of September. One match has already been scheduled for August 31. However, starting from September 15, the focus will shift to World Cup preparations, taking center stage.