Key points
- First meeting since May military conflict
- Pakistan miss key players
- Wasim Akram urges discipline from fans
- Harbhajan questions playing amid tensions
ISLAMABAD: A highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan headlines the Asia Cup, beginning Tuesday in the UAE, marking their first cricket encounter since the military conflict in May.
The T20 tournament serves as preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for February-March in India and Sri Lanka. The eight-team event kicks off with Afghanistan facing Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.
India and Pakistan meet on 14 September in Dubai. Cricket legend Wasim Akram urged fans and players to “remain disciplined and not cross the line”. The two sides have not played a bilateral series since 2012 and now only meet in neutral venues due to political tensions.
Both teams are in the same group and could face each other up to three times, with the final set for 28 September.
Playing cricket
An Indian veterans’ team, led by Yuvraj Singh, pulled out of a semi-final against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends held in England, refusing to face Pakistan in the group stage as well.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, part of that team, criticised the Asia Cup fixture. “Blood and sweat cannot co-exist,” he said. “It cannot be the case that there’s fighting on the border, tensions between the two nations, and we go to play cricket. Until these big issues are resolved, cricket is a very small matter.”
India, the defending Asia Cup champions, are favourites to retain their title. They last beat Pakistan in Dubai during February’s Champions Trophy and hold a dominant 10-3 T20I record.
Poor form
Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India are expected to perform strongly, especially as Pakistan are without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, dropped due to poor form.
The tournament features five full Asian Cricket Council members — India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh — alongside UAE, Hong Kong, and Oman, who qualified via the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.
Group A includes India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman; Group B features Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong. The group stage will be followed by a Super Four round and the final in Dubai.
