Asia Cup 2018: Will Hong Kong get temporary ODI status?

Courtesy of their win over UAE in the Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier final, Hong Kong became the sixth team to qualify for the Asia Cup 2018, which starts on September 15. They advanced through to the Group stage of the tournament where they will now face defending champions India and Pakistan. The last time that Hong Kong took part in the Asia Cup was in 2008 and even on that occasion, they were drawn in a group with India and Pakistan.

Now the bigger question for Hong Kong after qualification is this - Will Hong Kong get temporary ODI status for the Asia Cup 2018? Aside from the 12 full-member nations, only four Associate members have ODI status. Nepal, Netherlands, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates are those four and while Hong Kong have T20I status, they don't have ODI status yet.

Although Hong Kong have played ODIs in the past and have also beaten Afghanistan, currently an ICC full member, they do not currently have ODI status. That means that their games against Pakistan on September 16 and India on 18th September in the Asia Cup 2018 will be List-A matches as things stand.

But there is a precedent for the side being given temporary ODI status. When Hong Kong took part in the 2004 Asia Cup and the 2008 Asia Cup, they were granted temporary ODI status. So the question now is whether ICC will do the same again?

And that is a question that many former and current cricketers have asked on Twitter.

@ICC question... does @CricketHK now have official ODI status? #justasking

— Dean Jones (@ProfDeano) September 6, 2018

Surely just give everyone ODI status just like T20I status....

— Kevin O'Brien (@KevinOBrien113) September 6, 2018

Hong Kong have previously featured in the Asia Cup twice and on both occasions, they ended the tournament without a win and dumped out in the first round. While in 2004, they lost to Pakistan and Bangladesh, the last time out in 2008, was against India and Pakistan.

The question of whether Hong Kong's matches in the Asia Cup will have international status or not is one that the ICC have to decide. And with the tournament starting in the UAE on September 15, they need to make that decision.