The Asia Cup 2023 cricket tournament kicked off on Wednesday with a fantastic start for Pakistan, as they secured a resounding victory against Nepal in the inaugural match at Multan Cricket Stadium. However, the tournament stirred up some controversy concerning the official team jerseys, which notably lacked the host country’s name.
Before the event, all participating teams unveiled their jerseys for the Asia Cup, but eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed that Pakistan’s name was conspicuously absent beneath the Asia Cup logo. This omission triggered a debate among fans, who were curious about why Pakistan’s name wasn’t featured on the jerseys.
It’s worth mentioning that this year, Pakistan is co-hosting the tournament with Sri Lanka due to concerns expressed by India about playing in Pakistan, its rival nation. Fans couldn’t help but recall that last year, even though the Asia Cup was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to political and economic turmoil in the host country, Sri Lanka’s name was proudly displayed on the Asia Cup kits.
Finally, sources linked to the relevant authorities have shed light on the reason behind this exception. They explained that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), which oversees the Asia Cup every year, made a deliberate decision not to include the host country’s name alongside the year on the jerseys. This decision was initially made during the 15th edition of the tournament in the UAE in 2022.
The rationale behind this move was the ACC’s concerns regarding the inconsistency in the jerseys from the 2022 Asia Cup. Some jerseys featured Sri Lanka, while others only displayed the year. To ensure uniformity in the jerseys and to reach a wider audience, the ACC opted not to mention either the host country’s name or the tournament year on this year’s Asia Cup jerseys. Consequently, the jerseys for the 2023 Asia Cup solely feature the tournament’s logo.
