Asia Cup 2023 matches could be shifted out of Colombo due to heavy rain: Report

Heavy rains in September in Colombo with a not-so-encouraging forecast throughout the week could force the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to shift the ongoing Asia Cup out of the city. Six matches, including the final are set to take place in Colombo but with heavy rain, it seems like ACC might be forced to take swift action, as per reports.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the matches could be moved out of Colombo, which is currently witnessing heavy rain and there is more on the radar throughout the week, as per the forecast. Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has already taken a dig at the ACC saying that they didn't listen to his advice of holding the tournament in the UAE. 

The report further stated that Sri Lanka Cricket had proposed to host the tournament in Dambulla, which is comparatively a



drier region in the country in this part of the year when the tournament was made hybrid after the BCCI refused to travel to Pakistan due to security reasons. However, it wasn't to be and Kandy and Colombo were chosen as the venue.

One match has already been washed out, that too the marquee India vs Pakistan clash in Kandy on Saturday, September 2. The report stated that SLC was confident of hoisting the tournament in Colombo but the weather conditions, current and the future for the week, don't look good and it seems the final decision might come in a couple of days.

The next three of the four matches take place in Lahore in Pakistan, which has given some breathing space for the ACC to make a decision but the weather doesn't look good for the Monday clash between India and Nepal in Kandy too with an 84 per cent chance of rain in the daytime.