Controversy arises over venue change for Asia Cup 2023 matches

Lahore: Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Tuesday initially contemplated relocating the six Super 4 matches to Hambantota due to adverse weather forecasts in Colombo, with the PCB's consent.

However, a recent turn of events witnessed the ACC, led by Jay Shah, overturning this decision, leading to considerable dissatisfaction on the part of the PCB.

The PCB expressed concerns about Colombo's erratic weather conditions, which led to flooding in the vicinity of the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium. This situation could potentially disrupt matches, including the highly anticipated Pakistan-India encounter scheduled for September 10.

Adding to the PCB's frustration is the perception of unilateral decision-making by the ACC, despite Pakistan being the host nation for the event.

The controversy gained momentum when rain forced the abandonment of the Pakistan-India match in Pallekele last Saturday, raising doubts about the tournament's feasibility. The ACC has faced criticism for scheduling matches during the rainy season in Sri Lanka.

However, Ashley de Silva, CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), confirmed that Colombo would indeed remain the host for the matches as originally planned. He clarified that the idea of relocating the games to Hambantota was still in the discussion phase, with no official confirmation given to any concerned parties regarding a potential move.

Yet, all participating cricket boards including the PCB, SLC, BCCI, and BCB, as per ESPNcricinfo's report,  had previously reached a consensus to move the matches to Hambantota. The logistical challenges were the only remaining obstacles preventing the relocation from being executed.