CHENNAI: After much delay and parleys between India and Pakistan, the long overdue schedule of the Asia Cup is finally out. It will be played in two countries, a hybrid model that has been introduced to accommodate India who refused to play in Pakistan. The refusal even threatened to disrupt the 50-over World Cup to be held later in India. However, better sense prevailed and the Asia Cup schedule has been finalised.
Pakistan will face Nepal in the opening game of the tournament in Multan on August 30. India will start their campaign against Pakistan in Kandy on September 2. While India, Pakistan and Nepal are in Group A, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are in Group B. “The Asia Cup holds a special place in the hearts of cricket enthusiasts across the continent. It goes beyond being just a tournament; it symbolises the rich tapestry of cultures, traditions and shared passion for the game that binds our diverse nations together,” Asian Cricket Council President Jay Shah said in a statement.
The six-team tournament which will be played in the 50-over format will begin in Pakistan before moving to Sri Lanka as per the hybrid model that was decided by the ACC a while ago. Two teams from each group will qualify for Super 4s and the top two will play in the final which is set to be played in Colombo on September 17.
The tournament that was supposed to be played in Pakistan became a topic of debate when the BCCI said that they would not be sending a team to the country citing their government’s lack of permission. After much debate, the ACC eventually agreed to the hybrid model proposed by ex-PCB chair Najam Sethi.
Later, the Asia Cup issue is finally resolved with BCCI secretary Shah and the current PCB chair Zaka Ashraf meeting in Durban during the ICC AGM to finalise the schedule. As for the ODI World Cup, the global body has announced the schedule but per the last update, the PCB awaits government permission which will be sending a security team to assess the venues before giving approval for the same.
The continental tournament will be vital for all five teams, barring Nepal, in their preparations for the ODI World Cup which will begin less than 20 days after the Asia Cup. The interesting thing about the Asia Cup schedule is that the first Super 4s game between A1 and B2 will be played in Lahore. And the ACC has made it clear that Pakistan will be A1 and India will be A2 irrespective of where they finish.
This means, Pakistan will play in the opening game in Multan, travel to Sri Lanka to play India and then go back to the Lahore Super 4s match (should they qualify) and return to the island nation for the rest of the tournament. Likewise, in Group B, Sri Lanka will be B1 irrespective of where they finish and Bangladesh will be B2 which means they will play all Super 4s games at home. If any of the aforementioned teams from Group A and B do not qualify, Nepal and Afghanistan will take their place, respectively.
Schedule: Group stage: Aug 30: Pak vs Nepal, Multan; Aug 31: Ban vs SL, Kandy; Sept 2: Ind vs Pak, Kandy, Sept 3: Ban vs Afg, Lahore; Sept 4: Ind vs Nepal, Kandy; Sept 5: SL vs Afg, Lahore; Super 4s: Sept 6: A1 vs B2, Lahore; Sept 9: B1 vs B2, Colombo; Sept 10: A1 vs A2, Colombo; Sept 12: A2 vs B1, Colombo; Sept 14: A1 vs B1, Colombo; Sept 15: A2 vs B2, Colombo; Sept 17: Final, Colombo.