Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has brushed aside idea that there could be a change in the schedule of the upcoming Asia Cup. The tournament, which will consist of six teams, will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September 15 to September 28. India are set to face Pakistan in the most anticipated clash of the tournament on September 19, and it was reported that BCCI was not happy with the schedule as the Men in Blue had a game a day earlier as well. “The scheduling is mindless,” a senior BCCI official had said. “There appears to be zero application of mind. How can you accept a scenario where India play a game today and tomorrow they will face arch-rivals Pakistan who will have a two-day period of rest? This is unacceptable and has to be revisited. Maybe for the organisers it is just a money-spinning game but for us it is important that there be fairness in scheduling.” But an ACC official confirmed Saturday that the council had not received any formal request from the BCCI for a change in schedule and they only got to know about their protest through media.

“The BCCI has filed no formal request for a change in schedule,” the official said. The official also added that every participating team and its board were consulted before the schedule was finalised. “The schedule was finalised after consulting all the involved teams in the tournament,” he said. Group A includes India, Pakistan and the qualifier while Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 4 and while the top two teams from the Super 4 will play the final on September 28 in Dubai.

Published in Daily Times, July 29^th 2018.