- 2023 Asia Cup will be the 16th edition of the Asia Cup.
- It will be jointly hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Tournament is scheduled to be held in August and September 2023.
Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Management Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), expressed optimism about Pakistan’s success in the forthcoming Asia Cup.
During the unveiling ceremony of the tournament’s schedule and trophy in Lahore, Ashraf referred to it as a significant occasion for Pakistan cricket.
“It’s a big achievement of PCB that after 15 years Asia Cup is coming back to Pakistan,” he said.
“It’s an opportunity for us to host the cricket nations. We welcome all the participating nations in our country and we look forward to hosting them,” he added.
When asked about his role as the head of PCB, which will be hosting the Asian event, Ashraf stated that he treats all teams equally. However, he expressed his desire for Pakistan to emerge as the champions and lift the trophy.
“All teams are equal to me but yes I wish that Pakistan win the tournament,” he shared.
The last time Pakistan won the Asia Cup was in 2012 when Ashraf served as the PCB chairman. In the final match against Bangladesh, Aizaz Cheema successfully defended nine runs in the last over, securing the victory for Pakistan.
The upcoming Asia Cup event is scheduled to begin on August 30, starting with the host country Pakistan playing against Nepal at Multan Cricket Stadium. Lahore will host three matches, including a Super Four contest.
The remaining nine matches, including the final, will take place in Sri Lanka’s cities of Kandy and Colombo.
In the group stage, Pakistan is set to face India on September 2 in Kandy. If both teams qualify for the next round, they will meet again on September 10 at the same venue.
If the arch-rivals advance to the final, they will compete against each other in Colombo on September 17.
To address India’s security concerns and their refusal to tour Pakistan for the event, a hybrid model will be used for this year’s Asia Cup. The concept was presented by former PCB Management Committee chairman, Najam Sethi.
A total of 13 One Day International (ODI) matches will be played among the participating teams, namely India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal.
The teams are divided into two groups. Group A consists of Pakistan, India, and Nepal, while Group B comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
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