A blockbuster between India and Pakistan headlines the Asia Cup starting on Tuesday as they face off for the first time in cricket since their military conflict in May.
The T20 competition will serve as a build-up towards the T20 World Cup in February-March in India and Sri Lanka. The eight-team event in the United Arab Emirates begins when Afghanistan play minnows Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi.
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan clash in Dubai on September 14, with Pakistan bowling great Wasim Akram saying players and fans from both teams should “remain disciplined and not cross the line”.
The neighbours have not met on either side’s soil in a bilateral series since 2012 and only play each other in international tournaments on neutral ground as part of a compromise deal.
The two Asian cricketing giants have been clubbed together in the same group and could potentially meet three times in the tournament, which concludes on September 28.
There have been tensions in the build-up after Pakistan and India fought an intense conflict in May — their worst since 1999 — when the two countries stepped back from an all-out war in the aftermath of the April 22 attack in India-occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
India blamed Pakistan for the attack without evidence, while Islamabad strongly denied the allegations. New Delhi launched deadly air strikes on Pakistan on May 7, in response to which the Pakistan Air Force downed six Indian jets. After tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally reach a ceasefire.
In a sign of lingering bitterness, an Indian team of retired players withdraw from their semi-final with Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends in July-August in England.
Led by former international Yuvraj Singh, the Indians also refused to play Pakistan in the group stage of the tournament, as clamour grew among fans to boycott the games.
