Sri Lanka’s statement on hosting Asia Cup 2022

Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Mohan de Silva is hopeful of facilitating the Asia Cup, planned to begin in late August, regardless of the continuous political unrest and distress in the island country.

The civil unrest has heightened in Sri Lanka over the last one week as protestors burst into the Presidential building demanding the removal of both the acting president Gotabaya Rajapaksa and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. President Rajapaksa has reportedly escaped to the Maldives and his luxurious abode has been taken over by the general public.

Nonetheless, Sri Lanka recently facilitated Australia effectively in the midst of the political and economical emergency and according to De Silva, cricket has stayed immune from the civil controversy.

The Australians reached in June for a tour including T20Is, ODIs and two Tests, which concluded with Sri Lanka balancing out the series 1-all in Galle in dreamlike conditions as protestors raged the close by Galle fold as cricket was played in the background.

Another explanation De Silva stayed hopeful about the Asia Cup was the Pakistan contingent showing up recently to play a two-match Test series. The Pakistanis have proactively played a warm-up match and the PCB has affirmed the guests had not been impacted by the political unrest outside.

A final conclusion on whether Sri Lanka would be held as the venue for the six-country Asia Cup will be taken by the Asian Cricket Council on Friday.

“As far as we are concerned, we are still very confident of hosting the tournament in Sri Lanka. We have just hosted the Australian tour with two Tests in Galle, and Pakistan are in the country as well,”

de Silva told ESPNcricinfo on Thursday.

When inquired as to whether there has been any strain to move from the ACC, he said: “not really”.

The 2022 edition of the Asia Cup is booked to be a T20I competition, with the headliner running from August 27 to September 11, following a Qualifier that is likewise planned to happen in Sri Lanka, from August 20 to 26.

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Hong Kong, Kuwait, Singapore, and UAE are set to challenge the Qualifier, from which the top team will join the five Full-Member Asian groups – – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – in the main draw.