Asia Cup future hangs in balance

Conflicting claims by PCB, ACC about security concerns for regional event.

COLOMBO:

Asia Cup’s future hangs in the balance as conflicting reports about holding the event in Bangladesh emerged on Saturday.

The Chief Executive of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Ashraful Haq claimed that violence-plagued Bangladesh would remain the venue for next month’s Asia Cup and added Afghanistan as the fifth team in the regional one-day tournament.

“The tournament will go ahead as scheduled in Bangladesh from February 25,” said Huq after an executive board meeting in Colombo.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a press release later in the day stating that no final decision has been made in this regard.

“The matter of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh was discussed at length with emphasis on the current security situation,” said the PCB in a statement.



“The matter will be further deliberated on 9th January in Dubai after some members have consulted their governments.”

Huq, on the other hand, had claimed that all arrangements were in place for the event.

“Everything is in place for the tournament, no one raised any issue about safety,” said Huq, adding the Bangladesh Cricket Board had made a detailed security presentation at the meeting.

Huq also claimed that Pakistan did not raise any security concerns at the meeting either.

However, a Pakistan board source said that it will seek further clarification during a meeting of the International Cricket Council.

Meanwhile, an ACC release said 11 matches will be played in the tournament with the final on March 8. Afghanistan will also join Asia’s four Test nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The Afghanistan team, which has qualified for their maiden appearance in the 50-over World Cup, have also made it to their third successive World Twenty20.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2014.

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