Zaka Ashraf, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) management committee, has suggested the possibility of shifting the Asia Cup 2023 matches to Pakistan due to concerns over adverse weather conditions in Sri Lanka.

Ashraf’s proposal comes after a telephonic conversation with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chairman Jay Shah, where they discussed Pakistan and India’s rain-affected matches in Sri Lanka.

The PCB chairman’s stance is based on the uncertainty of the weather in Sri Lanka, which has prompted him to advocate for a comprehensive weather assessment in the coming days.

As a solution, he proposed shifting the Asia Cup matches to Pakistan, and specifically mentioned that Pakistan–India matches could be played in Dubai if the need arose.

Meanwhile, the Super 4 stage matches of the Asia Cup, originally planned for Colombo on September 9, are likely to be shifted to alternate venues such as Pallekele or Hambantota.

According to the media report of Daily Mirror, the ongoing discussion between the Asian Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has been confirmed by an SLC official.

“A decision will be taken tomorrow or the day after,” the official said on condition of anonymity. He added that Dambulla was not one of the venues being considered.

Ashraf had earlier stressed on the importance of the Asia Cup as a major cricket tournament and the need to prevent its disruption due to rain.

Therefore, he believes that shifting the matches to Pakistan should be seriously considered in case of adverse weather conditions in Sri Lanka.

In response to Ashraf’s proposal, Jai Shah has assured to evaluate the situation.

It is to be noted that the Pakistan-India match in Kandy was heavily affected by rain, resulting in no conclusive result.

However, today’s match between India and Nepal is also in danger of being canceled due to adverse rain conditions.