It’s a very strange Asia Cup 2023 schedule: Salman Butt

The release of the Asia Cup schedule has, in an unexpected turn of events, aroused debate and raised worries about the safety of the players. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come under harsh fire from Salman Butt, a former captain of Pakistan, for failing to look after his country’s needs during the competition.

Due to its unusual schedule, the Asia Cup, which will be jointly hosted for the first time in the tournament’s history by Pakistan and Sri Lanka, has garnered notice. While Pakistan’s schedule has drawn criticism, India will play every one of their games in Sri Lanka.

According to the announced itinerary, Pakistan’s opening match in Group A will take place in Lahore, with just two days passing between the two matches before they make a quick trip to Sri Lanka for their eagerly anticipated match against India in Kandy. The fact that Pakistan would have to play the game on home soil once again before flying back to Sri Lanka would add to the demanding schedule if they made it to the Super Four level.

Salman Butt voiced his displeasure with the schedule, emphasizing the Pakistani team’s lack of a break and insufficient training. He bemoaned the stark discrepancy in treatment compared to Sri Lanka’s schedule, where the team enjoys a more reasonable 4-5 day break between matches when traveling to Pakistan for their second game.

The scheduling is quite odd. The first game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is being played there; the second game will be played there. While Pakistan, the initial host nation, only has a two-day gap before their second game against Sri Lanka, which will be played away from home, Sri Lanka will have a 4-5 day gap.

Salman Butt said, as reported by Hindustan Times, “We never cared about our guys.

According to a statement made by Jay Shah,

President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), the results of the opening round would not have an effect on the tournament’s ranking system. Pakistan and India will both maintain their positions as A1 and A2, respectively, regardless of how the teams play. If any of the two teams is unable to proceed to the following stage, Nepal will step in to replace them.

Afghanistan will take the place of either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh in Group B if none of those teams succeeds in making it to the Super Fours.

Due to the current scheduling dispute, it is more important than ever to treat players fairly and take their physical and mental health into account when hosting cricket competitions. Butt’s blunt criticism is reflective of the worries voiced by many cricket fans, who think that the PCB should put its players’ health first and provide a more balanced and accommodating schedule.

In the end, what matters most is the integrity of the game and the wellbeing of the players, and the cricketing community will be closely watching to see how this sensitive topic plays out in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.