Regarding the Asia Cup 2023, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi shared a special message, wishing the national team well and hoping that they will show passion and pride to bring glory to the country. Afridi remarked on the x platform, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “Excited to see the #AsiaCup kick off in Pakistan after 15 years! Let’s welcome all the other teams. Support and make this tournament a true celebration of the game!
The Asia Cup 2023 is set to commence today, featuring Pakistan, the top-ranked One-Day International team, facing Nepal in a Group A clash at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Both Nepal as a team and Multan as a venue are making their debut in the Asia Cup. This match also marks the first encounter between Pakistan and Nepal at the top-level of cricket.
The fans will enjoy an engaging opening ceremony before the match, which is scheduled to begin at 14:30 PST. The 2023 Asia Cup will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 30 to September 17.
Notably, due to security concerns, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) declined to send their team to Pakistan, resulting in only four matches being played in Pakistan, with the remaining nine, including the final, taking place in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan shares Group A with Nepal and India, while Group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. The tournament will be played in the 50-over format, allowing teams to prepare for the World Cup in India later this year, as the T20 and ODI formats have alternated at the Asia Cup since 2016.
It’s worth mentioning that India holds the title of defending champions in the 50-over Asia Cup, last held in 2018.
Complete schedule
Group Stage
Aug 30 – Pakistan vs Nepal in Multan at 2:30 pm (PST)
Aug 31 – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka in Kandy at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 2 – Pakistan vs India in Kandy at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 3 – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan in Lahore at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 4 – India vs Nepal in Kandy at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 5 – Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka in Lahore at 2:30 pm (PST)
Super 4s
Sept 6 – A1 vs B2 in Lahore at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 9 – B1 vs B2 in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 10 – A1 vs A2 in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 12 – A2 vs B1 in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 14 – A1 vs B1 in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 15 – A2 vs B2 in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
Sept 17 – Final in Colombo at 2:30 pm (PST)
*Positions irrespective of teams’ positions after first round
– Pakistan will remain A1
– India will remain A 2
– If either of them (India and Pakistan) don’t qualify for Super 4s then Nepal will take their position
– Sri Lanka will remain B1
– Bangladesh will remain B2
– If either of them (Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) don’t qualify for Super 4s then Afghanistan will take their position
