Asia Cup schedule likely to be announced during this week, says Pakistan Cricket Board

Lahore, July 17 (IANS) The final schedule for Asia Cup, set to be played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 17, is likely to be announced this week, said Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“On Saturday, July 15, a meeting was held between the PCB and ACC officials in respect of finalising the schedule of the Asia Cup 2023, logistical and organisational arrangements and marketing campaigns.”

“The finalised schedule is likely to be announced this week. With the opening match scheduled to kick off in Pakistan, the PCB, as the event host, looks forward to welcoming cricket fans from across the world to experience Pakistan’s renowned hospitality,” said the PCB in a statement about the events transpiring during ICC Annual Conference in Durban from July 10-13.

As per the statement made by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on June 15, the Asia Cup will be hosted in a hybrid model with four games hosted in Pakistan and the remaining nine matches to be played in Sri Lanka.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, the winners of ACC Men’s Premier Cup, will compete in a total of 13 ODI matches, which is seen as preparation for the ODI World Cup to be held in India from October 5 to November 19.

India and Pakistan have been grouped together alongside Nepal while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are the sides featuring in the other group. Sri Lanka are the defending champions of the Asia Cup, while India won the tournament the last time it was held in a 50-over format in the UAE in 2018.

The 2023 edition of Asia Cup, which is also the 16th edition of the tournament, will feature two groups, with two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will then face off in the final.

PCB added that several fruitful meetings were held by Zaka Ashraf, Chair of the PCB’s Management Committee, with fellow cricket board officials on the sidelines of the ICC meetings where collaborations and mutually beneficial programs to further cricket development and growth were discussed.

PCB further said it wanted the financial distribution model item to be deferred to the next ICC Board Meeting. “Ultimately, the majority of members did not find it feasible to defer this item and voted in favour of passing the Model, while the PCB recorded its dissent as a matter of principle,” it added.

At the same time, PCB said it will receive double the amount from the newly-approved financial model. “Consequently, due to the Pakistan cricket team’s performance in men’s ICC events and bilateral cricket, the PCB’s own huge fan base, which leads to significant commercial value, the PCB was ranked amongst the top-four nations in this Model.”

“As such, the PCB will receive more than two times the revenue when compared to the last cycle. This increased share of revenue will mean that a far greater investment can be made in developing cricketing skills and will be beneficial in taking Pakistan Cricket to new heights. This was welcome news for the Pakistani fans and our great nation.”

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