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After much suspense and speculations, it has been finally confirmed that the 2022 Asia Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates as per the designated schedule, from August 27 to September 11. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Wednesday confirmed that Sri Lanka Cricket will remain the host as the tournament is moved from Sri Lanka to the UAE due to unfortunate conditions in the island nation.
Notably, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) was chosen as the host for the 15th edition of the continental tournament and it was set to be hosted in the island nation. However, with the country going through an unprecedented economic crisis that has also led to political turmoil, the SLC and other stakeholders seemed skeptical about hosting the tournament there. A few days ago, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly also confirmed that the tournament will be held in the UAE.
“The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is eagerly looking forward to conducting its much-awaited Asia Cup tournament from August 27th to September 11th, 2022, as scheduled. However, considering the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka, the ACC after extensive deliberation has unanimously concluded that it would be appropriate to relocate the tournament from Sri Lanka to the UAE,” the ACC said in a statement on Wednesday.
“The ACC is mindful of the passionate Sri Lankan fans, hence the final decision to change the venue has been very difficult, but has been one that was deemed necessary. However, the thoughts of all ACC members remain in solidarity with the cricket-loving nation of Sri Lanka. The ACC remains committed to supporting the sport and all its fans and is deeply thankful for the unwavering efforts made by SLC in ensuring the tournament continues as scheduled,” it added.
Notably, a total of six teams including India and Pakistan will clash for the coveted title. The three other pre-decided teams include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the sixth team will be decided after a qualifier is played between UAE, Kuwait, Singapore, and Hong Kong. India and Pakistan will face each other on 28 August.