ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket fans, disappointed that only four matches of the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 would be played on home soil, hoped the green shirts beat arch-rivals India in the multi-nation tournament during their encounter in Sri Lanka and lift the multi-nation trophy.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the Asia Cup schedule last week, according to which the tournament would kick off on August 30 with hosts Pakistan squaring off against minnows Nepal in Multan. India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan to play their tournament fixtures in there — which stemmed largely from political tensions between the two countries — forced the PCB to settle for a “hybrid model.” As per the model, Pakistan would host only four matches of the Asia Cup while the other nine would be played in Sri Lanka.
Deprived of an India-Pakistan clash on home soil — always a spectacle for millions of cricket fans worldwide — Pakistani cricket fans said it was disappointing that despite officially being the tournament’s host, several Asia Cup matches would take place in Sri Lanka.
“In my opinion, the entire tournament should have been held in Pakistan instead of Sri Lanka, so it’s disappointing,” Arif Syed, a cricket fan who works as a manager at a gas company in the UAE, told Arab News in Islamabad. “Pakistan will only play one match at home, that too against Nepal, which will receive a good response from fans but the kind of excitement witnessed during matches against bigger teams like Sri Lanka, India, or Bangladesh, will not be there.”
Following India’s refusal to travel to Pakistan, angry Pakistani cricket fans urged the PCB to respond in a tit-for-tat manner and decide against going to India for the upcoming 50-over ICC Men’s Cricket World cup tournament, scheduled to be held later this year.
Syed said Pakistan “should have taken a stand” when India decided not to tour Pakistan for the Asia Cup. However, he acknowledged that the PCB may not have had a choice in the matter as India enjoyed a “strong hold’ over the International Cricket Council and other cricket bodies around the world.
Hussam Zain, a business development manager in Islamabad, said though Pakistani fans were excited to see the South Asian country host the tournament again, it was “sad news” that many would not be able to see the green shirts defeat India on home soil.
“A match between Pakistan and India is considered one of the biggest cricketing events and we were really looking forward to seeing the Indians play in Pakistan at home as fans would have loved it and it would have been a tremendous game and a historical moment,” Zain told Arab News.
“But now that it’s not happening here, we are still excited and hopeful to see Pakistan win against India in Sri Lanka. It will be a high-pressure match, so the team will require nerves of steel, but they are a young lot, so they can do wonders,” he added.
Hamza Sheikh, a startup owner from Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi, said an India-Pakistan clash is a “cultural event” and not merely a game for people of all ages. “One thing about Pak-India matches I like the most is that the whole family sits together in front of the TV and enjoys that match because it is a cultural event,” Sheikh told Arab News.
He advised the Pakistani team to play cautiously to excel in the tournament.
“Pakistan are a really good side but, at times, things get a bit crazy and the boys face troubles toward the end of the match, so they should [work hard] and be among the top four,” he added.
Noor Rajput, a professional Pakistani football player who is also an avid cricket fan, said Pakistan should employ its efforts right from the beginning of the tournament and shouldn’t take even Nepal lightly.
“Even with Nepal, Pakistan should put in its best efforts,” Rajput told Arab News. “But I think skipper Babar Azam is an excellent player and can handle the team well.
