Situation Of Hosting Asia Cup In Sri Lanka Will Be Assessed After IPL Final: Jay Shah

Jay Shah, president of the Asian Cricket Council and the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Friday said the situation of hosting the Asia Cup 2022 in Sri Lanka, will be assessed after the final of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Asia Cup 2022 was scheduled to be hosted in Sri Lanka on August 27 but due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country, many questions are being raised.

Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of the people in the island nation since the onset of the pandemic.

"I had a detailed discussion with the officials of Sri Lanka Cricket on the situation in the country and its impact on cricket. SLC is hopeful of delivering a safe and successful Men's Asia Cup. The office-bearers of SLC will be hosted at IPL 2022 final on May 29, and we will further assess the situation," Jay Shah told ANI.

The economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting tourism, the biggest contributor to Sri Lanka's GDP.

Sri Lanka is also facing a foreign exchange shortage, which has affected its capacity to import food and fuel. The shortage of essential goods forced Sri Lanka to seek assistance from friendly countries. The economic situation has led to huge protests with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

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Earlier, in a special address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa requested people to remain patient and stop taking to the streets in order to enable the government to resolve the situation.