Asia Cup 2023 host nation was Pakistan. But the events transpired in such a manner that Pakistan had to lose its rights and is now jointly hosting the tournament alongside Sri Lanka.
Now, Pakistan will host four of the 13 games. The biggest reason for this change was the BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team to Pakistan.
This escalated into a major political saga as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also responded to the BCCI’s move by threatening to pull out of the ODI World Cup. As things stand, PCB has agreed to send the team to India for the ODI World Cup.
Who is Asia Cup 2023 Host Country?
As of now, both Pakistan and Sri Lanka are the host countries. The tournament will have 13 matches, of which four will be played in Pakistan.
In fact, Pakistan will host the opening match, where they will take on Nepal in Multan.
Following this match, the action shifts to Sri Lanka, where Sri Lanka takes on Bangladesh and India takes on Pakistan at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Moreover, the action shifts back to Pakistan, where Bangladesh takes on Afghanistan in Lahore and Afghanistan takes on Sri Lanka at the same venue.
One more Super Fours game is scheduled to take place in Lahore before the caravan completely shifts to Sri Lanka.
From here on, Sri Lanka’s Pallekele, which will also host India vs Pakistan, and R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host games.
By this time, the tournament would have moved to the business end. This is also the first time that the tournament has been jointly hosted by two nations.
Prior to this, the tournament was always hosted by a single nation.
Asia Cup Hosts In Chronological Order
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the tournament when it was played for the first time in 1984.
We now take a look at the list of hosts in a year-wise manner.
| Year | Host |
| 1984 | UAE |
| 1986 | Sri Lanka |
| 1988 | Bangladesh |
| 1990-91 | India |
| 1995 | UAE |
| 1997 | Sri Lanka |
| 2000 | Bangladesh |
| 2004 | Sri Lanka |
| 2008 | Pakistan |
| 2010 | Sri Lanka |
| 2012 | Bangladesh |
| 2014 | Bangladesh |
| 2016 | Bangladesh |
| 2018 | UAE |
| 2022 | UAE |
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hosted the tournament when it was played for the first time in 1984.
We now take a look at the list of hosts in a year-wise manner.
As can be seen, Bangladesh has hosted the tournament the most times. Yes, they played hosts five times, while Sri Lanka and the UAE both played hosts on four occasions.
Meanwhile, India and Pakistan played host just once.
Why There is Change in Asia Cup 2023 Host?
It all began almost one year ago when BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said the BCCI would not send its team to Pakistan if the country hosted the Asia Cup.
This almost led to a meltdown between the two nations since PCB, in a tit-for-tat response, said that they would also pull out of the ODI World Cup in India.
That was when the authorities from both sides chose to call a meeting, and a compromise was reached among the stakeholders.
Which was to let Pakistan host the tournament but let India play their matches in a neutral location, which is Sri Lanka.
Now four matches will be played in Pakistan, while the other 13 matches will be played in Sri Lanka, where India vs Pakistan will also take place.
Final Thoughts On Asia Cup 2023 Host
Sometimes the political climate takes precedence over sports, and this is exactly what happened in the Asia Cup 2023, where Pakistan was denied the right to host the tournament in its entirety.
This is also the first time the host tournament has been jointly hosted by multiple nations.
Will we have this kind of thing in the future as well?
Well, that needs to be seen.
All we can say is that it doesn’t matter how many hosts are hosting the Asia Cup as long as the tournament produces high-scoring thrillers.
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FAQ On Asia Cup 2023 Host
FAQ On Asia Cup 2023 Host
1. Who is the Asia Cup 2023 Host?
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are jointly hosting the tournament.
2. Who Decides Who Will Host the Asia Cup?
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) awards the hosting rights.
3. Who Hosted the 2022 Asia Cup?
The United Arab Emirates hosted the Asia Cup.
