There are ongoing negotiations taking place, but it appears that the 2023 edition of cricket’s Asia Cup will be held at a neutral venue. In all probability, the UAE will step in as it has done in the past.
Pakistan is scheduled to host the tournament, but India’s reluctance to travel to the country puts this in serious doubt. The cricket board in Pakistan will naturally not be happy: Many teams have now chosen to tour with England undertaking T20i and Test Series in 2022.
There may be a chance that the tournament will be cancelled, but everyone involved is hopeful that a resolution will be found.
2023 Format
Since 2016, the Asia Cup has rotated between 50-over cricket and T20s. In 2023, the 50-over format will be in place and this should mean that there are fewer shock results over the course of the competition.
Future events are subject to change, but the Asia Cups of recent years have followed a similar pattern. It all starts with a group phase where the six teams are split into two groups of three. Each side plays each other once and, at the end of that sequence, the two best performing teams in the respective groups will progress to the knockout stage.
Two semi finals will take place before the final itself which will determine the overall winner. It’s a simple format, but who are the countries aiming for Asia Cup glory in 2023?
Teams in Contention
The strongest cricket teams in Asia will always pre-qualify for the tournament. India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are already guaranteed a place in the final stages.
In 2022, that left one place for a qualifying team and that slot was taken up by Hong Kong. There may be scope for future expansion, but the winner is likely to come from one of the ‘big five’.
Pakistan reached the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, while Sri Lanka were the Asia Cup champions. Despite all that, India are set to start as favourites for the 2023 inter-continental tournament.
There is interest right across Asia and Thai bookmakers are among the most active. The top online sports betting sites, known in Thai as พนันกีฬาออนไลน์, and there are a host of sportsbooks here with extensive markets for the Asia Cup.
Operators are sourced by Asiabet, but the odds are typical of what can be found elsewhere. Visitors to the website can consider the figures while also taking in supporting information in the shape of blog posts and breaking news.
Each sportsbook is reviewed by Asiabet and, if any look interesting, it’s possible to sign up and get directly involved with the markets. The majority of Thai and Asian bookmakers will accept global customers and many start things off with a generous welcome promotion.
Once sign up is complete, it’s easy to add funds to the new account via a range of providers. Customer services will help in the unlikely event of any issues, while there will be other advantages moving forward.
Ongoing promotions, mobile betting and an option for live streaming is available at many sportsbooks. In summary, this is a perfect partner for all forms of cricket betting, but has the market made the right call on the 2023 Asia Cup?
Who will win the 2023 Asia Cup?
Much will depend on the venue and the outcome of current negotiations. If Pakistan were to host the 2023 Asia Cup, it would be an advantage for the team if they were playing on familiar surfaces.
By taking the tournament to the UAE, this could become a far more open competition. All teams would be happy with the conditions and most, if not all, will have previous experience of UAE surfaces.
India seem to be the worthy favourites. They may have lost that T20 World Cup semi final, but they are the strongest side on paper. The problem for the team in recent years is an ability to win enough of their knockout games.
As always, the main challenges will come from Pakistan and 2022 Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka. It will be a fascinating competition, and it’s hoped that the organisers will be able to come to a decision regarding dates and venue in the very near future.
