The big focus of attention when announcing a schedule for a big cricket tournament is the date and place where India and Pakistan will play against each other. In 2023, there will be two such exciting matches – one in the Asia Cup on September 2 and another in the ODI World Cup on October 14. If both teams do well and reach the later stages of the tournaments, fans might get to see two more matches between them. Right now, everyone is talking about the Asia Cup match, and the famous cricketer Wasim Akram, who has been part of many India-Pakistan matches, shared a serious warning about India.
This will be the first time these two teams compete since the 2022 T20 World Cup game in Melbourne. It’s also their first meeting in the ODI format since the 2019 World Cup.
On September 2, India and Pakistan will play at the Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka. Pakistan will come into the game after playing against Nepal, while it will be India’s first match in the tournament. They will play against Nepal two days later.
Before the match, a reporter asked Akram during a sponsor’s event how he sees the upcoming clash and which team has the advantage. The reporter mentioned that while other matches might not get as much attention, the India-Pakistan match is the most important because it’s a huge rivalry.
Akram then reminded everyone about the 2022 Asia Cup, where people expected India and Pakistan to reach the final, but Sri Lanka surprised everyone by winning. He also mentioned that India’s team, led by Rohit Sharma, didn’t even make it to the final.
“Last time, we thought India and Pakistan would be in the final, but Sri Lanka won. All three teams are strong – any team can win on a good day,” Akram said. “There are other teams in the competition too. Last time, Sri Lanka won, and India didn’t reach the final.”
Akram was also asked about whether the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have taken a stronger position against India’s decision not to play in Pakistan for the Asia Cup. But he avoided discussing that topic.
“I’ve always said that politics and sports should be separate. People from both India and Pakistan should have contact with each other. The normal people from both countries respect each other. I hope things get better eventually,” he said.
