After defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by seven wickets in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup final on Tuesday in Kirtipur, Nepal won the right to compete in the Asia Cup 2023, where they will be grouped with Pakistan and India.
With the help of Gulsan Jha’s top-scoring 67 runs in 84 balls, Nepal was able to defeat the 118-run mark in 30.3 overs. Three fours and six maxes were part of his undefeated run.
Before Lalit Rajbanshi claimed figures of 4-14 in 7.1 overs, UAE were dismissed for just 117 runs in 33.1 overs.
The Men’s Asia Cup 2023, which will take place in September of this year, will automatically qualify the champion from the Premier Cup, which comprised 10 Associate nations and was a significant part of the ACC’s new pathway structure.
Group 1 consists of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. The reigning champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will compete in Group 2.
Similar to last year’s format, the top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage of the competition. However, the competition will return to the ODI format for the 2023 edition.
It should be recalled that Pakistani cricket officials intimated they would skip the 2019 World Cup in India in October of last year, just one day after Indian officials there announced they wouldn’t send a team to the 2023 Asia Cup in Pakistan.
The competition will be moved to a neutral place, according to Indian Cricket Board Secretary Jay Shah, who also said that India “can’t” send a team to Pakistan.
After being caught off surprise by his remark, Pakistani officials issued a warning that it would “split” the international cricket community.
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,” according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The Pakistan Board stated that it has not received any official correspondence from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and recalled that it was Shah who secured Pakistan’s hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup.
India and Pakistan haven’t played each other in any version of the game on home territory since 2012, despite being one of sports’ biggest rivalries. Instead, the two countries only face off in international events on neutral sites.
