The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is contemplating a change in venue for several matches, including the final, of the Asia Cup 2023, which is originally scheduled to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Recent heavy and extremely heavy rainfall in the Sri Lankan capital has raised concerns about the feasibility of holding matches there. As per the original itinerary, the super-4 stage, featuring all five games and the final, was set to be hosted at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium.
The inclement weather conditions have prompted discussions about potentially relocating these matches to alternative stadiums, specifically the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy and the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium in Dambulla. However, Kandy has also experienced adverse weather conditions recently, leading to the abandonment of the India vs. Pakistan match due to continuous rain.
In Colombo, the scheduled matches are slated for September 9, 10, 12, 14, and 15, with the final match scheduled for September 17. Weather forecasts for Colombo indicate the likelihood of thunderstorms and rainfall in the coming week. While Kandy is expected to see some rain, the situation there is relatively better than in Colombo.
The ACC is expected to make a decision on the potential venue change in the coming days. As per the original schedule, Colombo was set to host its first Asia Cup match on September 9. The Asia Cup 2023 is co-hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan, with matches being held in both countries.
Sri Lanka’s central weather forecasting agency has issued warnings of showers or thundershowers occurring intermittently in several provinces, including Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central, and North-western provinces. Additionally, they predict fairly heavy showers exceeding 50mm in some areas of Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as in Galle, Matara, and Nuwara-eliya districts.
Furthermore, the agency has cautioned that fairly strong winds, reaching speeds of approximately 40-45 kmph, may occur at times in various provinces, including the western slopes of the central hills, Western, North-western, Northern, and North-central provinces.