Asia Cup 2023 is less than two months away. The marquee tournament will be held in a ‘hybrid model’ as the Indian national team had concerns about travelling to Pakistan, who are the official host of the event. Following India’s objection, Sri Lanka will co-host the multi-national tournament alongside Pakistan. Thus, fans will witness eternal rivals India and Pakistan battle it out on the cricket field soon. Asia Cup 2023 Dates Announced, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to Host ODI Cricket Tournament.
Whenever the two heavyweight nations have crossed swords, fans have witnessed some breathtaking action. The last time when the Men in Blue faced the Men in Green was back in ICC T20 World 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and both teams blessed the venue with some exhilarating action.
Given Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had their reservations regarding the ‘hybrid model’ earlier, the detailed schedule of the Asia Cup 2023 has not been announced yet. However, it has been reported by the Insidesport website that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is set to declare the schedule this week. Moreover, according to the reports, Dambulla is the favourite to host the iconic encounter between India and Pakistan. Columbo was known to be the preferred choice for the epic clash but Dambulla is likely to be given a go-ahead owing to the monsoon season in Sri Lanka. PCB Writes Letter to Pakistan Government for Travel Clearance for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, Says Report.
“There are some last-minute details to go over. The tentative schedule has been shared with the members. It should be out by this week. Colombo is an issue due to the monsoon season. We would have ideally hoped for the India vs Pakistan match in Colombo but rain could be an issue,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying in the report.
Asia Cup 2023 will kick-start on August 31 and the final showdown is slated to be held on September 17. Pakistan is slated to host the first four games of the tournament in Lahore and then the teams will move to Sri Lanka.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 04, 2023 02:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).