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Asia Cup (Source- Twitter)
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) will stick to its original schedule and there will not be any changes in the venue for the upcoming Super 4 matches of the Asia Cup. Colombo's R Premedasa Stadium will host the Super 4 matches alongside the final clash on September 17.
Since India’s Group B match against arch-rivals Pakistan was washed out in Pallekele last Saturday, there have been talks about the matches taking place in Colombo, which has been receiving heavy rainfall. The Sri Lanka Cricket then suggested moving the tournament to Hambantota and was accepted by the hosts Pakistan Cricket Board as well.
We haven’t made any changes in the schedule: Ashley de Silva
On Tuesday morning, the participating teams were alerted about plans to shift the venue from Colombo to Hambantota in the south, but the decision was reversed within a few hours. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO, Ashley de Silva, said, "It was just rumour. We haven’t made any change in the schedule. The weather is fine in Colombo right now."
On Tuesday, ACC president Jay Shah stated why UAE wasn’t selected to host the match, "The Asia Cup 2022 edition was played in the UAE in the T20 format. It’s important to emphasize that the dynamics of a T20 tournament cannot be directly compared to those of a 100-over One-day format. In this context, ACC members received feedback from their respective high-performance teams, expressing concerns about playing One-day matches in the UAE in the month of September."
"Such a schedule could have potentially led to player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup. The decision-making process regarding the Asia Cup 2023 format and the venue was guided by a sincere desire to prioritize the well-being of the players, as well as the overarching interests of the sport."
The tournament is being played in a hybrid model with five matches in Pakistan and the rest in Sri Lanka after India refused to travel to Pakistan. The matches, which are currently underway in Lahore, will continue in Colombo on Sunday with India again taking on Pakistan at the R Premadasa Stadium.