MULTAN: Asia’s cricket giants India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will get a final chance to size each other up before October’s 50-over World Cup when the Asia Cup begins on Wednesday.

Fiery rivals India and Pakistan could clash as many as three times if they go all the way in the six-nation continental championship.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are co-hosts, a hybrid model agreed after World Cup hosts India refused to tour Pakistan, with the final on September 17 in Colombo.

Babar Azam’s Pakistan, who became the world’s top-ranked ODI team after last week’s 3-0 series sweep against Afghanistan, open their campaign at home on Wednesday against Asia Cup debutants Nepal in Multan.

Babar, regretting the snub over Pakistan’s hosting, stressed his team was focused on the opening game against Nepal rather than against arch-rivals India, saying no team can be taken lightly.

“In my opinion, it would have been great if the whole Asia Cup was held in Pakistan,” he said on Tuesday. “But unfortunately, it has not happened, so we have to be ready for whatever schedule is decided.”

Pakistan will fly to Sri Lanka to play India in Pallekele on September 2 before playing a Super Four match in Lahore and then returning to Sri Lanka for the remaining matches.

“As professionals, we have to be ready. There is some travelling and back-to-back matches, but we are excited,” said Babar, who also played down the hype over the India clashes.

“Pakistan and India matches are always of high intensity and we will try to play the best cricket on that day, but at the moment we are focused on Nepal and will not take them lightly.”

India, Pakistan and Nepal are in Group ‘A’ while defending champions Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan form Group ‘B’.

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super Four stages.

Pakistan are on a high, having whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 in Sri Lanka last week to rise to the top of the One-day International rankings.

Nepal qualified for the Asia Cup after winning the Asian Cricket Council Premier Cup in April at home, beating Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

“We are playing in the Asia Cup for the first time and it’s a big occasion,” said captain Rohit Paudel. “We want to give a competitive game to Pakistan and India as well.

“We deserved to be here. We have been playing for more than two decades and this is the highest opportunity for Nepal and a great learning experience against a world-class team.”

Nepal will hope their high-quality spinner Sandeep Lamichhane cause some problems for Pakistan batting which includes world’s top-ranked batter Babar, number three Imam-ul-Haq and number five Fakhar Zaman.

Their inexperienced batting will be tested by world’s top pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.

‘NOT JUST PAKISTAN’

India and Pakistan, who only play against each other in international tournaments due to the countries’ long-standing political tensions, are expected to meet again in the Super Four stage and could face off for a third time in the final.

“It’s not just Pakistan, there are other teams,” Rohit said of the hype surrounding the Pakistan clashes, with the rivals also scheduled to meet in the 50-over World Cup in Ahmedabad on October 14.

“Sri Lanka won the Asia Cup last year. So there are other teams who are playing good cricket and will challenge us.”

Rohit said the Asia Cup was the perfect place to “test ourselves, try and put ourselves under pressure and respond to that pressure.”

India’s batting has been boosted by the return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer alongside Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill and Rohit.

Sri Lanka, who won the Asia Cup last year in Dubai when it was played as a Twenty20 tournament, have been hit by injuries ahead of their opener against Bangladesh in Kandy on Thursday .

Fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera is out of the tournament with a shoulder injury and leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has missed out due to a thigh strain.

Bangladesh have had a difficult build-up with Tamim Iqbal stepping down as captain and missing the tournament with a back injury as he tries to get fit for the World Cup.

Veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been reappointed captain through to the end of the World Cup. He previously led Bangladesh for 50 ODIs between 2009 and 2017.

Afghanistan, despite their recent loss to Pakistan, can pose problems with their potent spin attack of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Mohammad Nabi.

They also have in-form batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz who smashed 151 in a losing cause in the second game against Pakistan.

Teams:

PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (captain), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

NEPAL (from): Rohit Paudel (captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh (wicket-keeper), Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Shyam Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2023