Will India play Pakistan in the Asia Cup? The time, place, and date of the two teams' clash were decided a few weeks ago.
But still, former Indian cricketers are raising questions about whether India will play Pakistan in the Asia Cup or not. For example, former Indian cricketer Kedar Yadav believes that India will not play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup either.
The Indian champions refused to play the Pakistan champions in the group stage and semi-finals of the recently concluded World Championship of Legends (WCL) tournament. The Indian veterans boycotted the match against Pakistan in protest against the killing of 26 people in a gun attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, in the last week of April.
This was not a tournament sanctioned by the ICC or ACC, however. Since then, there has been increasing talk of boycotting India's matches against Pakistan.
Yadav, who once played for Chennai Super Kings, told Indian news agency ANI, "I don't think India should play this match. I believe they won't play. Wherever India plays against Pakistan, they will win. But this match should not happen at all. I can say for sure, the match will not happen."
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh is also in favor of cancelling the match. In an interview with the Times of India a few days ago, he said, "Until the dispute between the two countries is resolved, we should not play cricket. That is my opinion. Cricket is a very small matter compared to a nation."
However, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has a different opinion. Last month, he told the media that the matter depends on the government's permission. He said, "India-Pakistan cricket matches always depend on the government's approval. If the government gives permission, the match will take place. As I said earlier, it is important to stop terrorism. But if the government gives permission, then the game should continue."
Meanwhile, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has raised another issue. According to him, it would be better for Pakistan if India boycotted the match. After the ODI series loss against the West Indies, he said on his YouTube channel, 'I pray that India refuses to play against us in the Asia Cup, just like they did in the World Championship of Legends. They will beat us so much that it is unthinkable.'
The Asia Cup group stage match between India and Pakistan is scheduled for September 14. If both teams perform well, there is a possibility of them facing each other three times in the tournament. The Asia Cup will be held in the United Arab Emirates on September 9.