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New Delhi: A controversial decision was made by cricket’s governing bodies to schedule the Asia Cup despite the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The tournament is scheduled to begin on September 9, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE set to host the matches.
The marquee clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is set to be played on September 14. After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, many expected that India and Pakistan would not play against each other in multi-nation tournaments, but after the schedule announcement Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are facing massive criticism.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, UAE, Oman, and Hong Kong will participate in the Asia Cup 2025, and it will start with the opening clash between Afghanistan and Hong Kong. A total of 19 matches will be played in the tournament, with the final set to be played on September 28.
India are placed in Group A along with arch-rivals Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong are placed in Group B. The Men in Blue will begin their Asia Cup campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by the clash against Pakistan on September 14.
Their final group-stage match will be against Oman on September 19. If India and Pakistan qualify, they will meet again in the Super Four stage of the tournament on September 21.
In an interview with ANI, former cricketer Manoj Tiwary said that he's against the India-Pakistan match and it should not be held, especially after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in which civilians were killed. After that, Operation Sindoor has taken place.
"The situation was so bad, how can we think of an India-Pakistan match. I feel that it should be considered again and the India-Pakistan match should not happen in such an environment. Our Prime Minister is saying that the Operation Sindoor is still going on… How can we play a match with Pakistan?" Tiwary added.
