"Like Pizza Without Topping...": Former India Star's Witty Take On Pakistan's Asia Cup Participation
Asia Cup will be held in a hybrid model where Pakistan will host four matches while the remaining nine matches will take place in Sri Lanka.
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) accepted Pakistan's hybrid model for the Asia Cup, and announced on Thursday that the tournament will be held from August 31 to September 17. With India adamant on not travelling to Pakistan for the Asia Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not willing to move the entire tournament out of the country. After months of logjam, the release from the ACC confirmed that the tournament will be held in a hybrid model where Pakistan will host four matches while the remaining nine matches will take place in Sri Lanka.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra was relieved over the fact that ACC accepted Pakistan's proposal of a hybrid model.
"I am not a wee bit surprised because India had refused to go and they are not going. Pakistan will also come to play the World Cup, there is no doubt about that because you cannot do like that in ICC events that you won't play," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also made an interesting comparison regarding the whole logjam, saying that Pakistan without Asia Cup is like "pizza wihtout topping".
"You can flex your muscles slightly in the Asia Cup, you can say that you won't play and that other teams can play without you if they want. Asia Cup without Pakistan is like pizza without the topping. It won't be enjoyable. So you want Pakistan to be there in the Asia Cup," he added.
In the upcoming Asia Cup, teams will be divided into two groups of three, with two teams from each group advancing to the Super Four stage. The final will be contested between top two teams from the Super Four stage.
India Cricket Team
Pakistan Cricket Team
Sri Lanka Cricket Team