Pakistan to host next Asia Cup

Pakistan will host the next Asia Cup cricket, new Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Nazmul Hassan Papon said on Thursday, reports UNB.

"The next Asia Cup will be hosted by Pakistan, and the hosting right belongs to them. Where they will host the tournament, it's up to them," he said while talking to the media after an executive board meeting of the ACC at a city hotel.

The last Asia Cup was hosted by India who arranged the tournament in the UAE.

Pakistan can do something like that, said Nazmul, who took over the charge of the ACC president recently.

India did not host the tournament at home apprehending possible opposition of Pakistan who do not have a peaceful diplomatic relation with India. The ACC is looking to take steps to develop Asian cricket with more care.

Ehsan Mani, the chief development officer of ACC, on Thursday said: "We have a long programme to develop the Asian cricket. We want to start from under-16 and under-19 to the Asia Cup."

"It's not about cricket only but also about developing our umpires, match referees. Our main focus is to strengthen cricket of Asia. Asia is the strongest area for cricket. Afghanistan invested a lot for cricket and thus they became the full member nation of International Cricket Council (ICC). We're searching for more nations. Oman, Hong Kong and Saudi Arab are doing well. They can bring themselves to the next level. We're trying to develop cricket of these countries," Ehsan Mani, the former president of ACC, further added.

The next Asia Cup is scheduled to be played in September 2020, right before the next ICC World Twenty20.

At the executive board meeting, ACC Vice-president KH Imran, Ehsan Mani, also PCB President, BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary, BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury, SLC President Kamal Pathmasiri and ACB President Azziullah Fazale were present.