Asia Cup 2023: India NOT to travel to Pakistan, confirms IPL chairman Arun Dhumal
Asia Cup 2023: India NOT to travel to Pakistan, confirms IPL chairman Arun Dhumal; to play arch-rivals in SL
The dust hasall but settled on the controversy surrounding India vs Pakistan fixture in the Asia Cup 2023 after Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Arun Dhumal cleared the air. While there were reports in Pakistan media backed by Sports Minister Ehsan Mazari that India could travel to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup, it has now been confirmed that there is no such plan. The seven-time Asian champions will play all their matches in Sri Lanka instead despite them being the unofficial hosts.
Arun Dhumal dismisses Pakistan media rumours
"Our secretary met PCB head Zaka Ashraf and the Asia Cup schedule was finalised and it is on course as it was discussed earlier. There will be four games of league stage in Pakistan, followed by ninegames in Sri Lanka, including both India versus Pakistan matches, and in case there is a third game if both teams play final," Dhumal told PTI.
“There was no such discussion held. Neither is India travelling to Pakistan, nor our secretary will be travelling contrary to reports that have surfaced. Only the schedule was finalised,” added Dhumal in his conversation.
The rumours were dismissed by the IPL chairman after he met with the PCB management committee head recently. Both India and Pakistan have been in hot debate over the hybrid model of the Asia Cup which was proposed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). India had cleared their intentions over not travelling to Pakistan while proposing the hybrid model that will see Pakistan play all their matches onhome soil, except those against India.
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Pakistan’s Stand on ODI World Cup
A similar stand was taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the ODI World Cup and threatened not to travel to India. However, those demands were also dismissed by both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the BCCI recently.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif formed a committee last week to decide on his country’s stand to travel to India to play the World Cup or not.
The Asia Cup 2023 will start on August 31 with six teams which will be divided into two groups of three teams each. Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are placed in one group with Nepal being the third team. The format of the Asia Cup will be the same as that in 2022 with India and Pakistan likely to meet three times, if they make the final on September 13.
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