Asia Cup: India starts against Pakistan in Kandy on September 2.

CHENNAI:

India and Pakistan eventually released the Asia Cup schedule after lengthy negotiation. India refused to play in Pakistan, thus a hybrid model would be utilised. The denial threatened to interrupt the 50-over World Cup in India later. The Asia Cup schedule was finalised with superior judgement.

Pakistan will commence the tournament against Nepal in Multan on August 30. India begins their campaign against Pakistan in Kandy on September 2. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group B. Cricket fans worldwide love the Asia Cup. “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.

The ACC’s hybrid model will start the six-team 50-over event in Pakistan before proceeding to Sri Lanka. The top two clubs from each group will qualify for Super 4s and play in the final in Colombo on September 17.

The BCCI’s decision not to send a team to Pakistan due to their government’s lack of authorization sparked debate. The ACC accepted ex-PCB head Najam Sethi’s hybrid concept after much debate.

The Asia Cup schedule is finalised in Durban during the ICC AGM by BCCI secretary Shah and PCB head Zaka Ashraf. The worldwide body has announced the ODI World Cup schedule, but according to the latest update, the PCB requires government authorization to deploy a security team to evaluate the venues before approving them.

The continental event will help all five nations, except Nepal, prepare for the ODI World Cup, which starts 20 days after the Asia Cup. Lahore will host the first Super 4s match between A1 and B2. The ACC has stated that Pakistan will remain A1 and India A2 regardless of their finish.

Pakistan will play the opening game at Multan, fly to Sri Lanka to play India, then return to Lahore for the Super 4s match (assuming they qualify) and finish the tournament in Sri Lanka. In Group B, Sri Lanka will be B1 regardless of their finish, while Bangladesh will be B2 and play all Super 4s games at home. Nepal and Afghanistan will replace Group A and B teams who fail to qualify.

Schedule: Group stage: Aug 30: Pak against 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; Super 4s Sept 6: A1 vs B2, Lahore; Sept 9: B1 against B2, Colombo; Sept 10: A1 vs A2, Colombo; Sept 12: A2 vs B1, Colombo; Sept 14 and 15: A1 and B1, Colombo; Sept 17: Final, Colombo.