BCCI slams 'mindless' Asia Cup schedule, wants India-Pakistan game rescheduled

A couple of days after the 2018 Asia Cup fixtures were announced, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has slammed the scheduling, calling it 'mindless' and asking for a rescheduling of the India-Pakistan game.

According to the schedule, India are supposed to play back-to-back games, on the 18th and 19th September, the latter being the highly-anticipated clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Speaking to CricketNext, a BCCI official said: “The scheduling is mindless. There appears to be zero application of mind. How can you accept a scenario where India plays a game today and tomorrow it will face its arch-rival Pakistan who will have a two-day period of rest?"

“This is unacceptable and has to be revisited. Maybe for the organisers, it is just a money-spinning game but for us, it is important that there be equity in scheduling,” he added.

While India are slated to play back-to-back games, the first one against an unannounced Qualifier 1 team and the other against Pakistan, the Men in Green get ample rest for two days, after their first game on 16th September, before they lock horns with India.

India are the current defending champions, having won the event in 2016 by beating Bangladesh at Dhaka. The tournament was played in the T20 format, owing to the World T20 that immediately followed it.

This year, the tournament will be played in the United Arab Emirates, at Dubai and Abu Dhabi, from 15th September, with the final set to be held at the Dubai International Stadium on the 28th.

A total of six teams have been divided into two groups, A and B, with two teams qualifying from each group for the Super Fours.

This edition, the 14th overall, will be the third time the tournament is being played in the UAE, who previously hosted it in 1984 and 1995.