Why is the host nation’s name absent from the tournament logo for the 2023 Asia Cup? Former Pakistani athletes criticize PCB

The lack of the nation’s name on team shirts for the current Asia Cup 2023 has drawn criticism for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Usually, the tournament emblem usually incorporates the name of the host country, but not for the current continental competition.

While the PCB claims that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chose to remove the host nation’s name from its future tournaments last year, a number of former Pakistan players don’t agree with this claim.

In Pakistan, the Asia Cup 2023 began on August 30. However, Sri Lanka is also hosting the event after the ACC and BCCI reached an agreement on a hybrid hosting arrangement with no squad from BCCI traveling over the border.

Rashid Latif, a former captain of Pakistan, blasted the ACC and demanded an explanation.

Rashid was reported by news agency PTI as stating, “This is unacceptable and the Asian Cricket Council must explain this oversight since the Asia Cup is their property.”

For the first time in 15 years, Pakistan is hosting a significant international competition. Former Test cricketer Mohsin Khan questioned why the Emerging Nations Cup and U-16 competitions earlier this year carried the names of the host countries on their logos if the ACC had made the choice.

“Makes absolutely no sense. Why, therefore, has the ACC used the name of the host nation for its Asian Emerging Nations Cup or its Asian under-16 competition, both of which took place in Malaysia in July?

The BCCI may have been at blame for the misunderstanding, according to a former player who wished to remain nameless, according to PTI.

The player speculated that the BCCI official believed it would be humiliating for the Indian team players to wear uniforms with the name of Pakistan on the official Asia Cup emblem given the present state of relations between the two nations.

On August 30 in Nepal, Pakistan overcame Nepal in the tournament’s first match, while Sri Lanka narrowly defeated Bangladesh in the second match on Thursday.

After a one-day hiatus, the competition will return on Saturday with an exciting match between India and Pakistan at the Pallekle Cricket Stadium. However, there is a good probability of rain on Saturday, which might make the game a washout.

Since winning a dramatic group stage match against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup last year, India hasn’t faced Pakistan in an international cricket match.