With the forecast of rain and overcast during the Super 4 clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on September 10, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) has decided to add a reserve day for the highly-anticipated clash.
Notably, the reserve day is exclusive for this particular fixture between the arch-rivals and no other Super 4 games will have such an option.
After the development, even if rain washesout the highly anticipated match between the two sides, the match can be resumed from the point it was halted on the next day (September 11).
Issuing a statement, the ACC said: “A reserve day has been incorporated for the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4’s match between Pakistan and India scheduled to take place on 10th September 2023 at R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.”
“If adverse weather suspends play during the Pakistan vs India game, the match will continue on 11th September 2023 from the point it was suspended,” it added.
The only other game in the ongoing Asia Cup to have a reserve day is the final, scheduled to be played on September 17 in Colombo. As of now, the weather conditions are reportedly going to be overcast with forecast of very heavy rains in the capital city of the island nation.
If a washout happens, the ACC said that the ticket-holders can keep their match tickets which will continue to be valid on the reserve day as well.
Recently, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf had written to ACC chairman Jay Shah, demanding compensation for allegedly losing out on considerable revenue from gate receipts due to poor crowd response for the games in Sri Lanka.
Earlier, Team India’s first group-stage match against arch-rivals Pakistan was called-off following heavy rains at the end of the first innings where the Men In Blue had managed to put a total of 266 runs on board. Ace Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi blew away the Indian top-order dismissing both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply before all-rounder Hardik Pandya and Ishan Kishan played a gritty knock together to put a decent total to defend.