Asia Cup 2023: India-Pakistan clash in Dambulla, seal on hybrid model, 5 big things of closed-door meeting

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, currently in Durban for the ICC Chief Executives meeting, 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.

5 big things of the meeting

• asia cup 2023 schedule fixed
• The tournament will be held on hybrid model only
• Nine matches in Sri Lanka, four matches in Pakistan
• India-Pakistan match will be held in Sri Lanka
• Pakistan set to come to India for WC

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 August 31 to September 17 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, including matches between India and Pakistan. If both the teams play the final then that too will be in Sri Lanka. He dismissed the speculations coming in the Pakistani media that the Indian team would go to Pakistan. Such reports were coming quoting Pakistan’s Sports Minister Ahsan Mazari.

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Dhumal said, ‘No such thing happened. The Indian team or our secretary will not go to Pakistan. Only the program has been decided. The Indian team can play Pakistan in Dambulla, Sri Lanka. Pakistan’s only home match on their soil will be against Nepal, apart from these Pakistan will have Afghanistan vs Bangladesh, Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan matches.

A senior BCCI official said that Pakistan’s sports minister is probably not aware of the Asian Cricket Council’s earlier meeting in which the executive committee had approved the hybrid model, which was suggested by former PCB chairman Sethi. As far as the World Cup is concerned, the PCB will have to abide by the ICC Member Participation Agreement, which was signed by all Full Members in 2015 for eight years.

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