NEW DELHI: Indian cricket Chief Saurav Ganguly said on Wednesday the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Asia Cup has been cancelled. It was due in September,” Ganguly said in an Instagram chat with an Indian television station.
Ganguly’s statement comes after Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan said last month the Asia Cup would go ahead as scheduled in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.
The event, which had Pakistan as original hosts, was scheduled for September with the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka frontrunners to stage the tournament.
The tournament was not to be held in Pakistan due to India’s refusal to tour the country over political tensions between the two countries.
The International Cricket Council this month will also decide on the future of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled for October-November in Australia. “We don’t know when will IPL happen because it is hard to get a window,” said Ganguly.
“ICC is trying that World T20 takes place in October. Because ICC generates a lot of revenue from this. “Till the time we get clear cut directions from ICC we cannot talk about IPL. Because we don’t have a window as we travel to Australia in December,” he added.
Ganguly said the Board of Control for Cricket in India would be keen to host the IPL, which is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy.
It was recently reported that New Zealand has also thrown in their hat to host the popular event but Ganguly said these were all rumours.
The world’s wealthiest T20 tournament has twice been held outside India in years that it clashed with national elections.
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