The Asia Cup never needed an excuse to feel redundant. Even at its peak – and it is debatable whether it ever had one – it always felt like just another one-day tournament. Not particularly prestigious, not really necessary and without a real identity.
But arguably, this one will feel more redundant than ever. This 12th edition could even be the last, because after the Big Three restructuring of international cricket, there is no longer an Asian bloc.
It was the slow coming together of subcontinent countries and their gradual gaining of power that resulted in the idea of an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and, as a result, an Asia Cup. It was supposed to be a symbol of Asian strength.
Yet it has always been more representative of an essential Asian dysfunction. A small tournament by its geographic nature of participation, it has often seen the two biggest teams in the region – India and Pakistan – pull out.
Tournaments have been held irregularly, often poorly organised and have never acquired any sense of permanence. There was doubt a month ago, given the security situation in Bangladesh, whether this edition would materialise.
But the coming together of the boards of India, Australia and England now means that geography means nothing. It has often been whispered that N Srinivasan, the head of the Indian board, sees a waste of resources in the existence of the ACC. Given the way Srinivasan – and Wally Edwards and Giles Clarke of Australia and England, respectively – feel about the International Cricket Council and the need to streamline its operations and costs, those whispers are easily believed.
If the ACC is eventually eliminated, not many will mourn it. Nor its prize asset, the Asia Cup.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
Follow our sports coverage on @SprtNationalUAE
