Asia Cup 2020 postponed due to COVID; ACC issues statement, working for June 2021 window

Just a day after Sourav Ganguly confirmed that the Asia Cup 2020 has been cancelled, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has formally announced that the multi-nation cup has been postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ACC is currently working towards holding the tournament in June 2021 in Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup was set to be held in September earlier. 

Issuing a statement on Thursday, the ACC said, "From the onset the Board was keen on organising the tournament as per the original schedule. However, travel restrictions, country-specific quarantine requirements, fundamental health risks and social distancing mandates have posed as substantial challenges to the holding of the Asia Cup. Above all, the risks related to health and safety of participating players, support staff, commercial partners, fans and the cricketing community were deemed to be significant."

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"Accordingly, the Board, after careful consideration of all the above factors, has determined that the Asia Cup 2020 be postponed. Conducting the event in a responsible manner remains the priority of the ACC and the Board is hopeful that the tournament will be held in 2021. The ACC is currently working towards securing June 2021 as a suitable window for the same," the statement added. 

While Sri Lanka will host the 2021 edition of the Asia Cup after India declined to tour Pakistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been granted the hosting rights of the Asia Cup in 2022. 

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Window for IPL open 

With the Asia Cup being postponed, it has now opened up windows for the BCCI to conduct IPL. However, ICC's decision on the schedule T20 World Cup is still awaited, sources have reported that the Indian board has already begun preparations. 

In an Instagram Live Session with Vikrant Gupta on Wednesday, the BCCI President confirmed that the Asia Cup 2020 has been cancelled. Sourav Ganguly had added that it is difficult to say which will be India's first international series after the COVID forced break and highlighted that the BCCI is monitoring things monthly. Ganguly also added that if the T20 World Cup is cancelled, then the BCCI will try everything to stage the IPL in India as it is important for Indian cricket. 

READ | ICC T20 World Cup's Postponement Expected, Harsha Bhogle Turns Thoughts Towards IPL 2020

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had rejected any speculation that the Asia Cup 2020 will get scrapped in favour of BCCI to organize the IPL. In a recent media conference, the PCB CEO spoke about the prospects of Asia Cup 2020 and any possible cricketing commitments in place of the T20 World Cup, should the showpiece event gets shifted to a later date. Wasim Khan said that since Pakistan cricket team is set to tour England for three Tests and three T20Is in August, the players will return back to the country on September 2, i.e. in time for the proposed Asia Cup 2020.

T20 World Cup postponed? 

Meanwhile, Australian media has reported that the T20 World Cup has been postponed. and that the official announcement will be made on Friday. The sixth edition of the T20 cricket's showpiece event was originally scheduled to take place in October-November this year but according to various reports, the tournament might be called off due the ongoing global pandemic and might be rescheduled Down Under in 2022. 

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