The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2023 is set to kickstart on August 30, with Pakistan hosting four matches on their home turf and Sri Lanka hosting the remaining nine games, including the final. Amidst the build-up to the tournament, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has extended an invitation to Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), to attend the opening match of the Asia Cup between Pakistan and Nepal in Multan on August 30.
The invitation to Jay Shah marks a significant development as the Asia Cup 2023 adopts a hybrid model for the first time ever. This model comes in the wake of BCCI’s decision not to send Team India to Pakistan for the tournament due to political considerations. By inviting Shah, the PCB aims to emphasize their commitment to keeping sports separate from politics.
The official schedule for Asia Cup 2023 was unveiled on July 19 by Jay Shah, along with the ACC president. The six-team tournament is scheduled to commence on August 30. Pakistan will host four matches, while the remaining nine games, culminating in the final, will be hosted by Sri Lanka.
While the PCB’s invitation to Jay Shah has garnered attention, a BCCI official confirmed that the decision on whether he will travel to Pakistan is still pending. “Invitation aya hai, dekhte hai. Meeting karenge is baare mein (Yes, there’s an invitation; we will see. There will be a meeting in his regard),” stated the BCCI official to Times Now.
Team India’s Asia Cup 2023 journey will commence with a highly anticipated match against Pakistan on September 2. The tournament features six participating teams divided into two groups – Group A and Group B. Group A includes Nepal, India, and Pakistan, while Group B comprises Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super-4 round, culminating in the Asia Cup 2023 final.
As the tournament approaches, the dynamics surrounding Jay Shah’s potential visit to Pakistan serve as an interesting subplot to the larger storyline of the Asia Cup 2023’s unique hybrid model.