A clash between India and Pakistan on the cricket field is one of the most exciting and thrilling events. However, Pakistan is most likely to be frustrated by team India once again as they might decide against not participating in the Asia Cup in 2021 in order to accommodate their own calendar.
The cancelation of an ‘India vs Pakistan’ match won’t just disappoint the fans from both sides but also spell a lot of financial trouble for the host broadcaster Star Sports. Initially, the Asia Cup was supposed to be played in 2020 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup but the tournament had to be postponed after team India decided to go ahead with the Indian Premier League.
The Asia Cup 2021 will be hosted by Pakistan in a different country. However, the biggest hurdle ahead of the Pakistan Cricket Board is that India is all set to once again turn its back once again. The Times of India quoted a source as saying:
“Further, the Asia Cup – even if it was scheduled – would’ve probably been played around the same time as the ICC Test Championship final. If India don’t make the final, the industry would’ve preferred the Asia Cup instead. Now, the chance of such a thing happening looks bleak so it’s a kind of catch-22 right now,”
Post the upcoming England series in August-September, the BCCI wants to host as a preparation for the home T20 World Cup. There is also a possibility of BCCI hosting Sri Lanka to make up for the absence of a mega-tournament like the Asia Cup. The source revealed:
“Australia and South Africa had initiated a battle for the Boxing Day some years ago, which Cricket Australia clearly won. That battle may resume, who knows? India will fight to keep its October-November (Dussehra-Diwali) window to play at home and ensure IPL gets a larger window (March added to the April-May). These are matters that’ll test the efficacy of the upcoming FTP,”
