PALLEKELE: The Super Four stage of the ongoing 2023 Asia Cup could be rescheduled and shifted out of Colombo due to inclement weather. It is learnt that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) raised the issue with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) keeping the weather forecast of Colombo for the next few days in mind.
“The India-Pakistan match scheduled in Pallekele had to be called off due to rain. The forecast is the same in Colombo which made the PCB raise the issue with the ACC and SLC on Saturday,” a PCB source keeping track of developments told this daily. The PCB source said the SLC is looking for a relatively dry venue and Dambulla could be one of them. Even Hambantota is being discussed for this purpose.
The Super Four stage begins on September 6 in Lahore. The remaining five Super Four matches and the final on September 17 are scheduled in Colombo. “It was ACC’s decision to host a major part of the tournament in Sri Lanka. Now they have to chalk out alternate plans to make sure matches are not washed off.
They will come back to us in a day or two after which a final decision will be taken,” added the PCB source. The India-Nepal contest will go as per schedule as there is no time to shift the game. Abandonment of the encounter between India and Pakistan meant the latter qualified for the Super Four stage from Group A.