Asia Cup 2022 to be played in UAE instead of Sri Lanka

The 2022 Asia Cup, a T20 tournament, which is due to start next month is set to be played in the United Arab Emirates instead of Sri Lanka, it was reported Sunday.

The decision was taken at an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting this week, which remains concerned by the acute shortage of fuel which has played a big part in grinding Sri Lanka to a halt, ESPNcricinfo reported.

Up until last week, Sri Lanka Cricket was “very confident” of hosting the tournament despite the country’s deepening economic and political crisis. With food supplies drying up, fuel supply being cut to private vehicles, and severe daily power outages, enraged protestors stormed the residences of the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister demanding a change in leadership.

The protests did not however impact the bilateral cricket series with Australia and Pakistan.

“Hosting two teams is not the same as hosting ten teams,” Sri Lanka Cricket’s chief executive officer Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo on Sunday. “You have to provide ten buses with fuel for all of them. You have to give every team a luggage van with fuel, and transport for the managers. You also have to give the sponsors transport and ensure that they are getting the mileage that they want from their sponsorship. The fuel for the generators to run the floodlights will also have to be found.”

The ACC is set to announce the Asia Cup schedule on July 22.

This will be the second time in the last five years that UAE will host the Asia Cup. In 2018, the tournament, played in the 50-overs format, was conducted in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah between September 15-28.

This edition of the tournament will be played in Dubai and Sharjah between August 27 and September 11.