UAE to host prestigious ACC Asia Cup 2018 Cricket tournament
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- Plus 1 Asian Cup qualifier TBD
The hosting of the 2018 ACC Asia Cup is a real coup for the UAE and has come about in part by key diplomatic work conducted by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, in brokering the deal to ensure the confirmed participation of Pakistan amongst Asia’s cricketing elite.
Expat Sport chief Alan Holt expects this to be an excellent tournament:
“We’re really excited about the announcement of the 2018 Asia Cup being hosted here in the UAE. We’re expecting more that 25,000 people to attend the matches and with the calibre of the teams competing, this is truly a globally important event. Expat Sport is placed perfectly to act as a key partner to the Asia Cup, providing both tickets and hospitality. Our on the ground expertise and knowledge combined with a strong connection with the cricketing fraternity means we can offer customers a truly first-class experience.”
Returning to a fifty-over ODI format from 2016’s T20 experiment, the competition will run in three stages.
In the first round the teams will be split into 2 groups for round-robin qualification. The winners and runners-up from these groups will proceed to the ‘super 4’ round, again in round-robin format. Thereafter, the top 2 ‘super 4’ teams progress to the final to be held on 30th September.
The schedule details are as follows:
Group A:
1. Pakistan
2. India
3. Qualifier 1
Group B:
1. Sri Lanka
2. Bangladesh
3. Afghanistan
| No. | MATCHES | DATE (2018) | VENUE |
| 1 | Pakistan vs Qualifier | 18th Sept | TBA |
| 2 | Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka | 18th Sept | TBA |
| 3 | India vs Qualifier | 19th Sept | TBA |
| 4 | Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka | 20th Sept | TBA |
| 5 | India vs Pakistan | 21st Sept | TBA |
| 6 | Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | 21st Sept | TBA |
| SUPER FOUR ROUND BEGINS | |||
| 7 | Group A Winners vs Group B Runners-up | 23rd Sept | TBA |
| 8 | Group B Winners vs Group A Runners-up | 24th Sept | TBA |
| 9 | Group B Runners-up vs Group A Runners-up | 25th Sept | TBA |
| 10 | Group A Winners vs Group B Winners | 26th Sept | TBA |
| 11 | Group A Winners vs Group A Runners-up | 27th Sept | TBA |
| 12 | Group B Winners vs Group B Runners-up | 28th Sept | TBA |
| 13 | ASIA Cup 2018 FINAL MATCH | 30th Sept | TBA |
The final qualifier place will either be UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman and is to be decided in hotly contested play-offs this year.
Speaking about the event, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, chairman of the Emirates Cricket Board said: “Emirates Cricket is very proud for the UAE to be chosen as the host venue of the ACC Asia Cup. Our board has very close relationships with our Asian Cricket counterparts and, with the full support of our national sports councils and the Emirates Cricket Board members.”
Expat Sport will continue to update you on all the details of the ACC Asia Cup 2018 as they are released and we’re really looking forward to a scintillating tournament here on home soil.
The UAE’s meteoric rise to becoming the hub for World cricket has taken another positive step forward with the announcement that this year’s ACC Asia Cup 2018 cricket tournament will take place in the Emirates for the third time, and Expat Sports is excited to be a key provider of both tickets and hospitality for the event.
Previous tournaments hosted by the UAE were held in 1984 and 1995 and the latest installment of the pan-Asian cricket festival this September will feature the following world-class teams
