Nepal defeated United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the final of ACC men’s premier cup on Tuesday at the TU cricket ground in Kathmandu.
The seven-wicket win, powered by a steady 84-ball 67 from 17-year-old Gulshan Kumar Jha, ensured Nepal’s qualification for the Asia Cup 2023.
Nepal will take the last spot in Group A, alongside India and Pakistan, with the Asia Cup slated for September.
The top three finishes of Nepal, UAE and Oman at the Premier Cup mean they will also feature in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in July, where they will take on ‘A’ Teams of five Full Members in the region..
The venues for the Asia Cup, which was scheduled to happen in Pakistan, have been under constant debate due to political tensions between rival nations India and Paksitan, with the former demanding a neutral venue for the continental tournament.
In October last year ACC president Jay Shah officially told the media that India will not travel to Pakistan.
In reply, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi suggested a hybrid venue model, when matches between India and Pakistan will be played at a neutral venue. “We have decided on this hybrid model that Pakistan plays its Asia Cup matches at home and India their matches at a neutral venue, and that is our proposal to the Asian Cricket Council,” said Sethi.
The Asia Cup, involving six teams, will be played from September 2 to 17, though the exact schedule of matches is yet to be announced due to uncertainty over the venue.
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