ACC to convene in Bahrain on February 4 to discuss Asia Cup hosting rights - Reports 

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC), at the request of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi, will meet on Saturday, February 4, to settle the raging issue regarding the hosting rights of the Asia Cup.

Representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are also expected to be present after they initiated a request for a neutral host nation over their hesitation to travel to Pakistan in September for the continental tournament.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, a BCCI official confirmed that the subject of the Asia Cup's hosting will be visited and a decision is expected to be taken during the meeting in Bahrain.

ACC president Jay Shah had presented the schedule for the Asia Cup along with the groups and qualification route but had not mentioned Pakistan as the host country.

Najam Sethi responded with a sly dig towards the president for 'unilaterally' presenting the details. He wrote on Twitter:

"Thank you @JayShah for unilaterally presenting @ACCMedia1 structure & calendars 2023-24 especially relating to Asia Cup 2023 for which Pakistan is the event host. While you are at it, you might as well present structure & calendar of our PSL 2023! A swift response will be appreciated (sic)."

However, the ACC defended its president by claiming that the PCB chairman did not respond to their emails prior to presenting the schedule on social media. The ACC posted on Twitter:

"The calendar was then communicated to all the participating members individually, including Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), via an email dated December 22nd, 2022. While responses were received from certain Member Boards, no comments or suggested modifications were received from PCB. In view of the above, Mr Sethi's comments on a social media platform are baseless and are vehemently denied by the ACC."

The newly elected interim PCB chairman expressed interest in meeting with the BCCI secretary at the commencement of the International League T20 (ILT20). However, he only succeeded in speaking with the ACC officials, who granted him the meeting to discuss the concerns.

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BCCI requested the ACC for a change in Asia Cup 2023 venue

The BCCI initially expressed their reluctance to travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup following the Annual General Meeting (AGM). They issued an appeal to the ACC for the host nation to be changed to a neutral venue. Moreover, BCCI officials have reiterated that the decision to travel to Pakistan lies entirely with the Government of India.

The decision sparked outrage within the PCB, with then-chairman Ramiz Raja even stating that the Men in Green will boycott the 2023 ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India in October - November.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has played host to the last two editions of the competition. The 2008 Asia Cup marks the final event that Pakistan hosted on its soil. It is also to be noted that Pakistan currently hold the hosting rights for the 2024 Champions Trophy.

Which nation will host the 2023 edition of the tournament? Let us know what you think.

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