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The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced on Wednesday that the much-anticipated Asia Cup 2022 will take place in UAE instead of Sri Lanka on account of the prevailing situation in the island nation.
However, the dates have not changed, with the tournament set to start from August 27 and go on till September 11 as scheduled originally.
"The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is eagerly looking forward to conducting its much-awaited Asia Cup tournament from August 27th to September 11 th, 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," said a statement from ACC.
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.
Jay Shah, President, ACC said: "Every effort was made to host the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken after much deliberation. The UAE will be the new venue while Sri Lanka will continue to retain hosting rights. This edition of the Asia Cup is extremely important as it will help Asian nations prepare for the ICC World Cup, and I thank the SLC and the Emirates Cricket Board for their understanding and cooperation."
Shammi Silva, President, SLC said: "We were really looking forward to hosting our Asian neighbours in Sri Lanka for the much-anticipated Asia Cup. While I fully stand by the ACC's decision to shift the Asia Cup to UAE considering the current context and the magnitude of the event, Sri Lanka Cricket will work closely with the ACC and Emirates Cricket Board to ensure that we still have an exciting edition of the Asia Cup."
Khalid Al Zarooni, Vice-Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board: "The Emirates Cricket Board takes great pride in UAE being named the new venue for the Asia Cup. The ECB is always ready to help fellow Member Boards and the ACC and Sri Lanka Cricket have our full support. We have the required infrastructure in place and look forward to welcoming the teams to the UAE.
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