During a press conference at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters, Chairman Najam Sethi announced that the national cricket team will play two home matches in the upcoming Asia Cup 2023. Sethi, along with COO Salman Naseer, also hinted at the possibility of Pakistan hosting a Super 4s match.
Originally, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had planned for Pakistan to host the first four matches of the tournament, including the group-stage matches, while the remaining matches, including the final, were scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka. However, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) declined to tour Pakistan for the multi-lateral event, which meant that Pakistan would only play against Nepal at home in the Asia Cup.
To address this situation, Najam Sethi confirmed that Pakistan would have at least two home matches, contrary to the suggestion of just one match against Nepal. He jokingly said, “No, there would be two matches of Pakistan.
Minimum two.”The Asia Cup 2023 will feature six teams divided into two groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Super 4s stage. Hosts Pakistan are grouped with their rivals India and Nepal, while the other group includes defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
The tournament, played in the One-Day International (ODI) format, will serve as important preparation for the Asian teams ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup.This year’s Asia Cup was originally planned to be hosted by Pakistan, but due to political reasons, the BCCI declined to send their team to Pakistan.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that the tournament would take place at a neutral venue, stating, “Having a neutral venue for the Asia Cup is not unprecedented, and we have decided not to travel to Pakistan.”
