Pakistan To Demand More Games To Host In 2023 Asia Cup: Reports

With the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) board meeting in Dubai on Sunday, the PCB aims to have more Asia Cup matches held in Pakistan. Four matches will be played in Pakistan and nine in Sri Lanka during the event, which will take place from August 31 to September 17. This follows the announcement last month by the ACC that the hybrid format had been approved by all parties, including the PCB and BCCI.

A hybrid model emerged as the BCCI declared that it won't send the Men in Blue to Pakistan due to the political conflicts between the two nations. Zaka Ashraf, the newly appointed PCB chief, who was not in control when the Asia Cup dates were revealed, has made his intentions known to the ACC member board representatives who were in attendance in Durban for the ICC conference earlier this week.

A PCB source, as quoted by NDTV, reasoned that Sri Lanka has rainy weather due to which Pakistan should host more games in the Asia Cup.

"Pakistan will take the stance at the ACC meeting that with a rainy weather forecast for venues in Sri Lanka which is to host nine games of the Asia Cup, Pakistan should be allowed to host more than four games at home. The authorities in charge have expressed their desire to commence the event with a match between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan where they expect a bigger crowd compared to Lahore."

Pakistan to play only one game at home in Asia Cup 2023:

According to the initial schedule, Pakistan will feature only in one home game, facing a low-ranked Nepal side. The other matches scheduled in Pakistan are Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan.

Babar Azam and co. were close to winning the Asia Cup last year, but lost in the final by 23 runs to Sri Lanka. Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka captured their 6th Asia Cup title.