PCB CEO believes Asia Cup will go ahead as scheduled

While fans and stakeholders continue to hope that the Indian Premier League is held sometime later this year, Pakistan Cricket Board CEO Wasim Khan has rejected speculations that the Asia Cup will be scrapped to create a window for the tournament.

Khan asserted that the Asia Cup will go ahead as per plan later this year in either Sri Lanka or the UAE.

“The Asia Cup will go ahead. The Pakistan team returns from England on 2nd September so we can have the tournament in September or October,” Khan told the media in Karachi.

“There are some things which will only get clear in the due course of time. We are hopeful of having the Asia Cup because Sri Lanka has not had too many cases of the Coronavirus. If they can’t do it, then UAE is also ready,” he added. 

Khan revealed that Pakistan, who were the original host of the event, had agreed to let Sri Lanka host this addition in return for hosting the next one.

Meanwhile, seven more Pakistan cricketers including all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and fast bowler Wahab Riaz tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. This took the total count of infected Pakistani cricketers to 10. Earlier, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, and Haider Ali had tested positive for the virus.

 “Following the announcement yesterday that three players had tested positive for Covid-19, the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday confirmed that a further seven players and a player support personnel from a total of 35 have tested positive for Covid-19,” the PCB said in a statement.

However, reports are coming in that Mohammad Hafeez underwent another Covid-19 test 24 hours later and that has turned out negative.