Pakistan, India in same group for Asia Cup in September 2023

Development was revealed by Jay Shah

By Web Desk
January 05, 2023
India and Pakistan will be joined by a qualifier in their group — ICC

Pakistan and India have been placed in the same group for 2023 edition of the Asia Cup.

The development was revealed by Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Jay Shah in a tweet on Thursday.

India and Pakistan will be joined by a qualifier in their group. Meanwhile, the second group will feature defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stage of the tournament, similar to last year’s format. The 2023 edition, however, will see the competition returning to the ODI format.

The tournament is set to be hosted by Pakistan but it is likely to be shifted to a neutral venue.

It must be noted that in October last year Pakistani cricket authorities hinted they may pull out of next year's World Cup in India, a day after officials there said they would not send a team to the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan.

Indian cricket board secretary Jay Shah had said that India "can't" send a team to Pakistan, adding the tournament would be moved to a neutral venue.

His announcement caught Pakistan by surprise, with officials warning it could "split" the international cricket community.

The PCB said Shah's comments "can impact Pakistan's visit to India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and future ICC Events in India in the 2024-2031 cycle".

The Pakistan board said it has not received any official communication from the ACC, and noted that hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup had been given to Pakistan under Shah's leadership.

Despite being considered one of sport's greatest rivalries, India and Pakistan have not met on home soil in any version of the game since 2012, and only play each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.

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