The Asia Cup 2023 has become a topic of debate for months, with India and Pakistan taking opposing views on where the tournament should take place. The Indian team had initially declined to travel to Pakistan, citing security concerns, following which the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed an alternative. However, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) recently rejected the PCB’s proposal to host the tournament in Pakistan, and Sri Lanka has emerged as a front-runner to host the six-nation tournament.
Former Pakistan skipper and wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has voiced his opinion on the matter, stating that India should come and play in Pakistan. Sarfaraz believes that the way people of Pakistan have seen the likes of Steve Smith, Joe Root, and James Anderson playing in Pakistan, they want to see an India vs Pakistan match in Pakistan. He added that every team is coming to Pakistan, and the Pakistan players and PCB have struggled a lot to bring cricket back to the nation.
Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, and ACC president, has always maintained that the Asia Cup should take place at a neutral venue. He had earlier stated that India would not travel to Pakistan and that they would play at a neutral venue. The ACC reportedly rejected the PCB’s proposal to host the tournament on a ‘hybrid model,’ and Sri Lanka has been suggested as a possible host due to the extremely humid conditions in the UAE in September, which could lead to player injuries.
Pakistan’s attempt to host the Asia Cup has encountered numerous setbacks, but Sarfaraz believes that India should come and play in Pakistan. He thinks that every team that has come to Pakistan to play should support Pakistan and that Pakistan’s security forces, intelligence unit, and army personnel have played a crucial role in bringing cricket back to the nation. He added that the way Pakistan hosts teams, there would hardly be any country in the world that would match them.
The fate of the Asia Cup 2023 remains uncertain, but Sri Lanka has emerged as a possible host for the six-nation tournament. While Pakistan has faced numerous setbacks in its attempt to host the tournament, former Pakistan skipper and wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed has voiced his opinion that India should come and play in Pakistan.
