Pakistan Likely to Play Tri-Nation Series if Asia Cup 2023 is Cancelled
If the Asia Cup 2023 is canceled for any reason then Pakistan will play the tri-series at that time. Pakistan is likely to play the tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe. If that happens, India will host the five-nation tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started communication with various boards as part of their plan ‘B’ if the Asia Cup is canceled in September this year, Pakistan’s leading media outlet Geo Super reported in its report.
Pressured by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the PCB refused to host the entire Asia Cup at neutral venues. There are only two options, either play in Pakistan or adopt a hybrid model. Hosting the entire tournament outside Pakistan will destroy all efforts to bring international cricket back to their country. It will also affect the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025.
If the Asia Cup is canceled or India sets up a five-nation tournament as a counterpart to the Asian event, Pakistan will play a bilateral or trilateral series to prepare for the ICC World Cup. According to sources, PCB has started communication with various boards in this regard. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and West Indies are under consideration for the series in the Asia Cup window.
Australia, New Zealand, and England teams will also be busy in the Asia Cup window. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will be busy in India’s five-nation tournament.