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Najam Sethi, former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has taken aim at the Asia Cup's scheduling debacle that led to the washout of the much-anticipated India-Pakistan cricket match in Pallekele, Sri Lanka. Sethi expressed disappointment over the venue selection, specifically pointing fingers at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for rejecting his proposal to host the games in the UAE, citing what he termed "poor excuses."
Sethi vented his frustration on social media, writing, "How disappointing! Rain mars the greatest contest in cricket. But this was forecast. As PCB Chair, I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made to accommodate Sri Lanka. Too hot in Dubai, they said. But it was as hot when the Asia Cup was played there last time in Sep 2022 or when IPL was played there in April 2014 and Sep 2020. Politics over sport. Unforgivable!"
Sri Lanka was introduced as co-hosts alongside Pakistan under a "hybrid model" of hosting after India declined to play their Asia Cup matches in Pakistan due to geopolitical tensions between the two countries. According to this model, four of the Asia Cup games are to be played in Pakistan while the remainder are scheduled in Sri Lanka.
Najam Sethi highlighted that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) successfully hosted the Asia Cup in a T20 format last year, with evening matches minimizing the heat issue. He also pointed out that the Indian Premier League (IPL) managed to conduct its 2020 and 2021 seasons in the UAE amid the COVID-19 pandemic, disproving the argument that the UAE's climate would be a problem.
The match that sparked this controversy was halted due to rain, leaving only one completed innings where India was bowled out for 266 runs in 48.5 overs. The game also faced multiple stoppages and even had a delayed toss, adding to the frustrations and calling the scheduling into question.
Sethi’s comments about the ACC's decision-making underscore growing concerns about the intertwining of sports and politics, particularly when hosting international events. His remarks open up debates on the suitability and impartiality of hosting venues, especially for high-stakes matches like those between India and Pakistan, where every aspect—from performance to logistics—gets magnified.
Given these recent developments, questions surrounding future Asia Cup venues and the role of the ACC in ensuring fair and conducive environments for cricket are likely to intensify.
