Ashish Ranjan
The Asia Cup 2023 is just around the corner, and fans can’t wait to see the finest Asian teams compete for the coveted championship. On Wednesday, July 19, the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) revealed the schedule for the highly anticipated tournament.
In addition, when the schedule for the competition was announced, the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and its president, Zaka Ashraf, held a special event to disclose the schedule. Notably, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will co-host the competition.
During the occasion, however, Zaka Ashraf made a hilarious gaffe while addressing the audience. While discussing the national team’s potential in ODI cricket, Ashraf praised pacer Shaheen Afridi and even ranked him among the top 10 batsmen in the world, rather than bowlers.
“Both our batting and our bowling are strong. When it comes to batting, our captain [Baraar Azam] is rated first in the world. Ashraf stated during the ceremony that Pakistani batters are ranked among the top five when compared to other teams.
When discussing Shaheen Shah Afridi, his name appears among the top ten batsmen. Therefore, my best intentions are with the Pakistan team given their current performance,” he added.
Pakistan will host Nepal in Multan for the Asia Cup 2023 opener
The video of the incident has been widely shared on social media, with many admirers making fun of Ashraf and his remarks. Afridi is without a doubt one of the most fearsome and effective pacers in world cricket, but to name him one of the top ten batters is both humorous and perplexing.
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Now, speaking of the Asia Cup 2023 schedule, the tournament will commence on August 30 in Multan with a match between Pakistan and Nepal. It is important to note that Pakistan will host four matches, while Sri Lanka will host nine. The competition’s championship match will also be contested in Sri Lanka. Pakistan will only host three group-stage matches and one match in the final four.
