IPL Chairman, Arun Dhumal confirms India won’t be travelling to Pakistan for upcoming Asia Cup scheduled from August, 2023.
Dhumal, who is in Durban for the ICC Chief Executives Meet (CEC), revealed that the PCB representative head Zaka Ashraf and BCCI secretary Jay Shah met to discuss the agenda before the ICC Board meeting scheduled on Thursday.
“Our secretary met PCB head Zaka Ashraf and the Asia Cup schedule was finalised and it is on course as it was discussed earlier. There will be four games of league stage in Pakistan, followed by 9 games in Sri Lanka including both India versus Pakistan game and in case a third game if both teams play final,” Dhumal told PTI from Durban.
He denied media rumours that India might visit a bordering nation, as claimed by Pakistan’s sports minister Ehsan Mazari in some circles.
“There was no such discussion held. Neither India is travelling to Pakistan nor our secretary will be travelling contrary to reports that have surfaced. Only the schedule was finalised,” Dhumal added.
Like the 2010 match, India will most likely face Pakistan at Dambulla, Sri Lanka. The only home game for Pakistan will be against the underdog Nepal in the upcoming Asia Cup.
Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Afghanistan versus Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka versus Afghanistan are the other three matches of the Asia Cup 2023 edition.
Group 1
- India
- Pakistan
- Nepal
Group 2
- Afghanistan
- Sri Lanka
- Bangladesh
Nepal’s Historic Debut
Nepal will participate in the Asia Cup for the first time in 2023 after qualifying for the competition by winning the ACC Men’s Premier Cup. With a seven-wicket victory against UAE in the final game, Gulshan Kumar Jha’s disciplined batting performance of 67 runs off 84 deliveries helped Nepal win.
With this triumph, Nepal was guaranteed a spot in the prestigious Asia Cup, their first-ever appearance there.