Rashid Latif, a former captain of Pakistan, has voiced his opinions on the Asia Cup, which will be held in Sri Lanka and Pakistan under the recently agreed hybrid concept. The Asia Cup 2023 will take place from August 31 to September 17, 2023, with four of the games taking place in Pakistan and the remaining nine in Sri Lanka.
Latif expressed his thoughts on the matter and claimed that the BCCI and PCB stand to benefit from the Asia Cup schedule. Pakistan declared that they won't travel to India for the World Cup if India don't come to Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Hence, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had to agree to a hybrid model.
Although Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and leader of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), was praised for his efforts, the 54-year-old claimed that the PCB also wished to maintain their reputation in light of the current challenges.
"This is a typical scenario; Jay Shah wanted to win; he needed recognition for his work, somewhere he wanted the medal for his under-the-belt tactics that he organized some event as he is the ACC President. Moreover, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was also in a critical situation, and they also needed a way to save face and find a solution to overcome their challenges," Latif was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The third beneficiary is Sri Lanka: Rashid Latif
The former keeper-batter added labelled Sri Lanka as a "significant beneficiary" in this scenario, as the majority of the matches will be held in the Island nation.
"Both India and Pakistan have been successful in this. The third beneficiary is Sri Lanka, which will host almost the tournament with nine matches. Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh will receive their respective participating fees, so it will be a very good event for everyone. Pakistan is happy, India is happy, and Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also delighted."
Sri Lanka are the defending champions ahead of 2023 Asia Cup.
