Nepal Qualifies for Asia Cup 2023, Beats UAE in ACC Premier Cup Final. In the final match of the ACC Men’s Premier Cup, held in Kirtipur on Tuesday, Nepal secured a spot in the Asia Cup 2023 by defeating the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with a seven-wicket win. The victory means that Nepal will be joining Pakistan and India in Group 1 of the tournament.
Gulsan Jha’s unbeaten knock of 67 runs in 84 balls propelled Nepal to chase down a target of 118 runs in 30.3 overs. His inning included three fours and six maximums. The Premier Cup involved 10 Associate nations, and the winner was set to qualify directly for the Men’s Asia Cup 2023.
ASIA CUP 2023: Groups for the tournament and format:
Group 1 of the tournament includes Pakistan, Nepal, and India. On the other hand, Group 2 features defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Four stage of the tournament, following a format similar to last year’s. It’s worth mentioning that the 2023 edition will be played in the ODI format.
ASIA CUP 2023: Uncertainty over India’s participation:
The 2023 Asia Cup has been surrounded by uncertainty over the participation of India. In October last year, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stated that they couldn’t send a team to Pakistan for the tournament, and the competition would be moved to a neutral venue. The announcement took Pakistan by surprise, and officials warned it could split the international cricket community.
Pakistan Cricket Board’s response:
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a statement expressing their disappointment with the announcement. The PCB claimed that the comments could 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 board emphasized that it had not received any official communication from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and that hosting rights for the 2023 Asia Cup had been given to Pakistan under Jay Shah’s leadership.
India-Pakistan rivalry:
The India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is among the most significant rivalries in sports. However, the two teams have not met on home soil since 2012 and only play each other in multinational tournaments on neutral grounds.
(Islambad51-Newsdesk)
