Hong Kong set to face India and Pakistan if they win Asia Cup qualifier in Oman

Arch-rivals drawn in Group A for main tournament in Dubai, with winner of qualifier facing India on August 28

Hong Kong will play Singapore, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates for right to play in Asia Cup

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Hong Kong captain Nizakat Khan with his man of the match award after the game against Singapore at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Photo: Cricket Hong Kong

Published: 10:56am, 4 Aug 2022Updated: 10:57am, 4 Aug 2022

Games against India and Pakistan await the winner of this month’s Asia Cup qualifier in Oman, after the archrivals were drawn in Group A for the T20 tournament in the UAE.

Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates will battle it out for a spot in the main competition, which also includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Originally expected to be held in Sri Lanka, the qualifying matches and the Asia Cup itself have been moved to different venues because of the unstable political situation in the island nation.

Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne (left) and Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam pose with the Test trophy after Sri Lanka won the second cricket Test match against Pakistan. Photo: AFP

The qualifier starts on August 20, when Hong Kong take on Singapore, with the UAE playing Kuwait the following day in their opener. The last round of matches on August 24 pits Hong Kong against UAE, in a game likely to decide who wins the right to face the full member sides in Duabi and Sharjah.

India and Pakistan will meet in Dubai on August 28, a day after the tournament opens with the Group B clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The side that comes through the qualifier will face India three days later, and Pakistan on September 2.

The top two from the groups advance to a Super 4 in which every team plays each other. The final is on September 11.

India won the last Asia Cup in 2018 when it was played in the one-day international format.