Asia Cup 2020 is not a possibility: report

This year’s Asia Cup is likely to be cancelled due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has brought cricketing activities around the world to a halt.   

According to Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), the tournament is not a possibility bearing in mind the fact that the impact of COVID-19 is unknown so far.   

“Though it doesn’t seem right to be talking about cricket schedules as of now, we can safely assume that Asia Cup isn’t a possibility. The extent of the impact of the COVID-19 is unknown as of now,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official was quoted as saying in the report.  

"The job losses across sectors and the impact on the economy is also unknown. The sports organisation are also hit deeply and there will be some tough measures once some semblance of normalcy returns. There are liabilities and difficulties that the Board faces and it will be a new kind of a challenge to deal with them," the official added.

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The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan in September this year but a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official did not seem too optimistic, when approached on the matter.

“We cannot throw light on when the next Asian Cricket Council meeting will take place and on decisions around the Asia Cup and its fate,” a PCB official said.

Although Pakistan is the designated host for the 2020 Asia Cup, but the PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani had revealed earlier this month that the tournament will have to be hosted at a neutral venue due to their strained political relations with India.

With the COVID-19 pandemic escalating in the region and no Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meetings lined up in near future, there is a cloud over the tournament happening at all this year.