The 2025 Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup, originally set to begin from June 6 in Sri Lanka, has been postponed due to adverse weather and health concerns in the country, said the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Monday.

In its statement, ACC said the decision to postpone the tournament, which was to be held in 20-over format, comes after consultations were held in the organisation after a letter was received from Shammi Silva, the current President of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

Silva, who previously served as the ACC President, wrote to his successor Mohsin Naqvi about postponing the tournament, citing adverse weather conditions in Sri Lanka and health concerns owing to the spread of chikungunya disease in the region.

It is to be noted that Sri Lanka has been dealing with its chikungunya outbreak in 20 years. ACC also said it will announce the new dates for the tournament in due course, while appreciating the understanding of all participating teams, players, commercial partners, and stakeholders.

“The ACC is committed to providing opportunities for young women cricketers to develop their skills and compete at the highest level. We understand the strategic significance of this tournament in shaping the future of women’s cricket in Asia, and we will work diligently to reschedule the event at the earliest possible date,” said Naqvi, who also serves as head of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The inaugural edition of the ACC Women’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup was held in Hong Kong in June 2023. It ended in India ‘A’ winning the title after beating Bangladesh ‘A’ in the final at the Mission Road Ground in Kowloon. The tournament was set-up by the ACC to aid the development of women cricketers in full and associate teams in the Asian region. 

Source: IANS
--Agencies