A long-term media rights deal between the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the broadcaster could be in jeopardy if a solution is not found to end the problem of the logjam regarding the hosting rights of the Asia Cup 2023. If the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan doesn't take place then the broadcaster could incur heavy losses.
The Asia Cup was scheduled in September this year but Jay Shah, who is also the ACC chairman, announced in October 2022 that India will not travel to Pakistan. In the first formal meeting between BCCI secretary Shah and PCB chairman Najam Sethi held in Bahrain on February 4, the discussion regarding the venue of Asia Cup 2023 took place but the final decision was withheld.
According to a source, under the long-term agreement between the ACC and the broadcaster, Pakistan and India should mandatorily play each other at least twice, or thrice, in the regional multi-team event.
"It is not possible to have the Asia Cup without Pakistan and India matches. This is the understanding on which the agreement is based," the source said.
"Without Pakistan and India matches, the broadcasting agreement goes awry," he warned.
The source added that during the last ACC executive board meeting, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Najam Sethi, had made it clear that Pakistan wants to host the tournament, and they were willing to give all security guarantees to the participating teams, including India.
Sources aware of the developments said the most likely solution to the problem appears to be that Pakistan will remain the host of the Asia Cup but some matches will also be held in the UAE where India may play all its games, including the final if necessary.
"Sethi has not said that the PCB could consider being hosts and split the matches between venues in Pakistan and UAE to allow India to play in UAE," the source said.
"This is not an option right now for Pakistan unless something changes at the next ACC board meeting on the sidelines of the ICC meeting in March," the source added.
In the worst-case scenario, if India does not travel to Pakistan, the PCB could consider the option of not playing in the Asia Cup or not traveling to India for the ODI World Cup later this year.
A PCB official said there is a force de majeure clause in the Asia Cup participating nations agreement, which allows for the shifting of the tournament, but that is dependent on the host country.
"In 2018, India moved the Asia Cup to the UAE because of elections in their country (and) not because Pakistan said it wouldn't go to India for the event. So what happened in 2018 does not apply in the present scenario," the source said.
(Inputs from PTI)
