India and Pakistan to play Asia Cup in Dubai, says BCCI chief

Gulf Today Report

Both India and Pakistan will play in the Asia Cup which will be held in Dubai, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said here on Friday.

"Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and both India and Pakistan will play," Ganguly told reporters at Eden Gardens before leaving for Dubai for the ACC meeting on March 3.

Pakistan were supposed to host the tournament organised by the Asian Cricket Council ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia but India had refused to play there.

Earlier, the BCCI had said they have no problem with Pakistan hosting the tournament, provided it is held at a neutral venue.

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2012-13 when Pakistan visited the country for a limited-overs series.

Due to the ongoing political tensions between the two countries, India and Pakistan have only met in major ICC competitions since early 2013.

The former India captain also congratulated the Indian women's team for advancing to the T20 World Cup semi-final after beating New Zealand.

"They are playing some fantastic cricket and have qualified. Nobody is favourites in a world tournament. They are a good, side let's see where they finish," Ganguly said.

The former India captain backed Virat Kohli's side to bounce back from the Basin Reverse debacle and level the two-match Test series in New Zealand.

"They have come back back before. I'm sure they will bounce back again. There's still one Test remaining," Ganguly said.

India had suspended bilateral cricket ties with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks for which the Indian government held Pakistan-backed terrorists responsible.

However, the two teams continue to play each other in international tournaments, including the Champions Trophy final in England in 2017.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi recently called for talks between the two nations to resolve their cricketing conflicts.

Afridi said no matter where the Asia Cup is staged, the tournament should have both India and Pakistan playing in it.

Afridi has always been vocal about improving the relations between the two countries and has batted for peace.