Sports

Indo-Pak will compete in Dambulla for Asia Cup 2023, tournament schedule fixed

New Delhi. The much-hyped Asia Cup match between India and Pakistan to be held in Sri Lanka was approved by former office-bearers of the host Pakistan Cricket Board. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed this on Wednesday. Dhumal is currently in Durban for the ICC Chief Executives’ meeting. He confirmed that BCCI secretary Jay Shah and PCB chief Zaka Ashraf met ahead of Thursday’s ICC Board meeting to finalize the Asia Cup schedule.

Ashraf, who took over earlier this month, expressed displeasure over the hybrid model being approved by the previous PCB administration headed by Najam Sethi. PCB is the host of the Asia Cup to be held from 31 August to 17 September which will be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. “Our secretary met PCB chief Zaka Ashraf and the Asia Cup schedule has been finalised,” Dhumal told Durban. This is in line with what was talked about earlier. The league stage will have four matches in Pakistan followed by nine matches in Sri Lanka. This includes the matches between India and Pakistan.

If both the teams play the final, that too will be held in Sri Lanka. Such reports were coming quoting Pakistan’s Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari. Dhumal said, “No such thing happened. The Indian team or our secretary will not go to Pakistan. Only the schedule has been fixed.” The Indian team can play Pakistan in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s only home match on its soil will be against Nepal. Apart from these, Pakistan will have Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan matches. Recently, Pakistan’s Sports Minister Mazari had said that if the Indian team does not come to Pakistan to play the Asia Cup, then the Pakistani team will also not go to India to play the ODI World Cup.

A senior BCCI official said that perhaps the Pakistan sports minister is not aware of the Asian Cricket Council’s earlier meeting in which the executive committee had approved the hybrid model suggested by former PCB chairman Sethi. A senior member of the ACC board, who was present during the meeting, said, “We are not concerned with the internal affairs of the PCB. All we know is that the hybrid model was approved by the PCB.” In this regard, the PCB had also issued an official press release that four matches would be held in Pakistan and the rest in Sri Lanka. “As far as the World Cup is concerned, the PCB will have to abide by the ICC Member Participation Agreement, which will be signed by all ICC members for eight years in 2015. Signed by the full members.

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