The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is facing heavy criticism for its decision to schedule the Asia Cup during the rainy season in Sri Lanka. The former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, Najam Sethi, expressed his disappointment when the highly anticipated match between Pakistan and India in the 2023 Asia Cup was called off due to rain at the Pallekele International Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Sethi, in a social media post, revealed that during his tenure he had strongly advocated for hosting the Asia Cup matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to avoid weather-related disruptions. He lamented, “How disappointing! Rain mars the greatest contest in cricket. But this was forecast. As PCB Chair, I urged the ACC to play in UAE but poor excuses were made to accommodate Sri Lanka. Too hot in Dubai, they said. But it was as hot when the Asia Cup was played there last time in Sep 2022 or when IPL was played there in April 2014 and Sep 2020. Politics over sport. Unforgivable.”

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag also added a touch of humor to the situation, making a jest about holding the Asia Cup during the rainy season.

Meanwhile, Pakistani fans expressed their frustration with the ACC’s decision to choose Sri Lanka as the venue, pointing out that Pakistan could have easily hosted the entire tournament without weather interruptions.