Pakistan join new tournament before Asia Cup 2025; Full schedule, final date announced
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PCB has made a sudden announcement for a tri-nation series between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Asia Cup 2025 host, the United Arab Emirates, before the continental championship.
Amid the controversies between India and Pakistan, on the probable fixture in the upcoming Asia Cup, the India Champions team handing over a walkover to the Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends, the PCB has made an alarming decision.
Pakistan has not featured in a bilateral series against archrivals India ever since 2012-13, as a result of which their matches in ICC and ACC events are highly anticipated by cricket fans. With India being the hosts but games being held in the UAE, Pakistan has a fair chance to consider playing on the tracks before the Asia Cup 2025.
Pakistan to play tri-series against Asia Cup 2025 Hosts
Pakistan cricket has been doomed in recent years; their performance has gone down severely, as the last ICC tournament Pakistan won was back in 2017 in the ICC Champions Trophy, and they last played an ICC final in the ICC T20 World Cup final in 2022.
However, ever since then, their performance has taken a huge dip. They were knocked out of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 from the group stages, while also facing a further humiliating exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which they hosted.
With such concerns, the Asia Cup is a very crucial tournament from Pakistan's point of view, since they have won it only twice while never winning in the T20 format.
Ahead of the continental championship, the PCB has proposed a tri-nation series featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Asia Cup host, the United Arab Emirates. The proposition marks seven games to be played in the series, which also includes the final and will be played in the shortest format of the game.
PCB proposed turning Afghanistan's bilateral series into a tri-series
Pakistan was supposed to host the Afghanistan National Cricket team for a bilateral T20I series this month. However, citing the Asia Cup venue change, the PCB has proposed a tri-series that will include all three nations.
Undoubtedly, Afghanistan is one of the most convincing sides in T20Is among Asian countries, since their latest best stint came during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where they qualified for the semi-finals.
The Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to begin on the 9th of September, while the tri-series final has been scheduled for the 7th of September by the PCB. All the matches are supposed to take place at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The series will kickstart with a game between Pakistan and Afghanistan on the 29th of August, while the UAE will play its first game against Pakistan the very next day.
T20I Tri-Series Schedule (Local Time):
August 29 - Afghanistan vs Pakistan - 7:00pm
August 30 - UAE vs Pakistan - 7:00pm
September 1 - Afghanistan vs UAE - 7:00pm
September 2 - Afghanistan vs Pakistan - 7:00pm
September 4 - Pakistan vs UAE - 7:00pm
September 5 - Afghanistan vs UAE - 7:00pm
September 7 - Final - 7:00pm
Asia Cup in September; Sri Lanka enter as defending champions
With PCB's main aim for the tri-series being to make their players adapt to the conditions in the UAE, the Asia Cup 2025 has been given so much importance, as it marks preparation between the Asian Giants for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
The Asia Cup 2025 will feature eight teams, which are divided into two groups, and the top two will advance into the Super-4, with the tournament spanning from the 9th to the 28th of September.
India won the Asia Cup last time, but Sri Lanka are the defending champions of the T20I format of the Asia Cup.
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Pakistan National Cricket Team Asia Cup 2025 Afghanistan National Cricket Team UAE National Cricket Team PCB Asia Cup
