BIPIN DANI
There has been no move to move the next edition of the Asia Cup out of Sri Lanka, it is learnt.
According to highly placed sources, the Asia Cup is likely to be played in Sri Lanka soon after the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year.
Owing to the ongoing crisis and frequent power cuts and widespread shortages in Sri Lanka, the speculation was rife that it would be shifted to the UAE or Bangladesh.
However, according to the discussions the SLC officials (the president and the CEO), who were in India to watch the IPL final had a few meetings with the BCCI officials and it is learnt that they were able to convince the officials to host the Asia Cup as scheduled in Sri Lanka.
The BCB president Nazmul Hassan Pappon too was in India and had not voiced his concern if the tournament was held in Sri Lanka and has not even pushed for the shift of the Asia Cup to Bangladesh. The possibility of shifting the Asia Cup in the UAE is ruled out considering the extreme hot conditions in August in the UAE.
At present the SLC is concentrating on the forthcoming bilateral home series against Australia and Australia A teams. The Asia Cup is still a few months away.
The media reports of Sri Lanka playing two T-20I matches against India in the UAE to raise funds are not confirmed yet and no such matches are planned before the completion of the Asia Cup, it was confirmed by one of the officials aware about the scenario.
