Daily Times

Indian cricket Chief Saurav Ganguly said on Wednesday the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Asia Cup has been cancelled. It was due in September,” Ganguly said in an Instagram chat with an Indian television station.

Ganguly’s statement comes after Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan said last month the Asia Cup would go ahead as scheduled in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.

The event, which had Pakistan as original hosts, was scheduled for September with the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka frontrunners to stage the tournament.

The Pakistan Cricket Bard confirmed that they have agreed to host the event in 2022 and Sri Lanka is now expected to host it next year following the cancelation of this year’s edition.

PCB chief Ehsan Mani said the decision was made due to the worsening pandemic.

Mani said there was no politics behind the postponement and the decision was taken purely on safety grounds.

With T20 World Cup in October-November also unlikely to go ahead in Australia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Asia Cup’s cancellation allows the BCCI to have a full-fledged IPL in the same window.

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) met last month to decide on the road ahead for the continental event but no decision was taken.