The much-awaited official schedule of the Asia Cup has finally been unveiled, putting an end to the months-long dispute between the cricket boards of India and Pakistan. Pakistan has managed to retain the hosting rights for the prestigious tournament, but only four out of the 13 matches will be held in the country. The other participating teams include Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, making it a competitive field for the ODI competition.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) put forth significant efforts to salvage four matches from being moved out of the country, advocating for a hybrid model of hosting. Since the BCCI’s clear stance last October against playing in Pakistan, the PCB has witnessed three regime changes, each proposing slightly different approaches in negotiations.
The Asia Cup is scheduled to commence on August 30 with a match between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan. Three other matches will take place in Lahore, including a potentially-exciting Pakistan Super 4 fixture on September 6.
The remaining matches will be held in Sri Lanka, with three in Kandy and six in Colombo, culminating with the final match on September 17.
The high-profile India-Pakistan encounter will be a round-robin clash scheduled to take place in Kandy on September 2. Fans can also look forward to a re-match during the Super 4 stage, set for September 10 in Colombo.
The September 10 match will be played between the top two teams of Group A. Since Nepal is the third team in the group, India and Pakistan are expected to play this match against each other.
The final on September 17 will be played between the top two teams of the Super Four stage. If India and Pakistan manage to secure the top spots, they will play against each other for the third time in the tournament in Colombo.
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Updated: 20 Jul 2023, 09:33 AM IST
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