The Asia Cup 2023 will begin today (Wednesday) with a rousing opening ceremony featuring performances by renowned singers Aima Baig and Trishala Gurung, followed by Pakistan’s clash with Nepal in Group A at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan have already announced their playing XI for today’s match which will start at 02:30 PM.
The competition marks the debut of Nepal, as a team, and Multan, as a venue, in the continental tournament. This is also the first match between Pakistan and Nepal at the top level.
Pakistan’s last appearance in the format was in Multan in June last year and the home side won the three-match series by beating the West Indies 3-0. The team has played 10 ODIs here and won seven.
The Super 11 #AsiaCup2023 trophy in all its glory at the Multan Cricket Stadium 🏆✨ pic.twitter.com/97QBXWu5oc
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 29, 2023
“It’s always a great feeling to play in front of a passionate crowd in Multan and we are all excited that the Asia Cup is starting in this city,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said on the sidelines of the match.
“I want to congratulate Nepal for qualifying for the Asia Cup and I hope their participation will promote the development of the game in the country. We are looking forward to playing Nepal and I am sure it will be a good competition. Will be.
Pakistan entered the Asia Cup with speed. Sri Lanka topped the ICC rankings for ODI teams on Saturday after their 3-0 whitewash of Afghanistan. This is the second time the team has topped the chart since April.
The Green Shirts also have the best win/loss ratio of 2.750 with 22 wins from 31 matches since this World Cup cycle.
The team has recently achieved success in home and away formats. In April–May, they tied the T20 International series 2–2 and won the five-match ODI series against New Zealand 4–1, before whitewashing Sri Lanka in a two-Test series in Sri Lanka in July. And defeated Afghanistan 3-0. ODIs in Sri Lanka this month
Unleashing the Himalayan Thunder! ⚡Nepal's Maiden Dive into Asia Cup Glory! 🏏🇳🇵
— CAN (@CricketNep) August 30, 2023
Hold onto your seats, the wait is over, and history is about to be made as the rhinos step onto the grand stage of the Asia Cup for the very first time! 🏆🙌#weCAN #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/8JOR23NvTP
Reflecting on whether there is any added pressure to be the top-ranked side, Babar said, “I wouldn’t say there is any pressure. Rather, we enter this tournament with more confidence. This team has We have put in a lot of hard work and effort in the last few years and our top position is a testament to that. The work, however, is not done as we want to win the Asia Cup and the World Cup. We have the next few months. Some are competitive and interesting and we are eager to do good for our country.
Pakistan captain said that every player in this side wants to win the match for his country and wants to raise his hand.
“They’re always willing to put in the hard yards and never back down from tough, tough situations. We’ve had some amazing past few months and it’s time to keep the momentum going.
After today’s match, Pakistan will travel to Sri Lanka on August 31 to play India in the second Group-A match in Kandy on September 2.
The venue will also host the third and final match of the group between India and Nepal on September 4.
Pakistan Squad: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan (wicket), Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
