‘I don’t believe in counting my chickens’: Dravid’s monumental ‘India vs Pakistan’ reaction over Asia Cup schedule
The schedule for the 2023 Asia Cup was finally announced on Wednesday evening, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka scheduled to co-host the edition in a first for the continental tournament. The blockbuster clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will take place on September 2 in Kandy, and there is a possibility of the two sides meeting thrice over the course of 19 days in the 16th edition. Both sides are drawn in the same group (A), and will meet again if they qualify in the Super Fours; the final of the tournament takes place on September 17 in Colombo.
Rahul Dravid talks to reporters ahead of 2nd Test against West Indies(BCCI)
The prospect of the arch-rivals potentially meeting thrice within a month has created quite a buzz on social media and India’s head coach Rahul Dravid also reacted to the announcement during a press conference ahead of the side’s second Test against West Indies. Dravid, who was also the head coach of the side during the last year’s Asia Cup, stated that he wants to focus on the first two matches and not think too much about the possibilities.
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“The schedule is out. You have to qualify for the Super Fours to play Pakistan three times. One step at a time, I don’t believe in counting my chickens too much,” Dravid told reporters in a video posted by the BCCI.
“I know we are going to play Pakistan and Nepal in the first two games, so we need to focus on that. We need to win those games and see where the tournament goes. If we get the opportunity to play them three times, it’s fantastic. That would mean we reach the final of the tournament and hopefully, Pakistan do too.
“It would be a great contest, and we certainly want to play right up to the final and win it. But we need to take the first two steps to do that,” Dravid said.
Last year, India had bowed out of the Super Fours stage after losses to Pakistan and Sri Lanka, with the latter eventually lifting the cup. Last year, the tournament was played in T20 format due to the T20 World Cup later in the year; likewise, with the ODI World Cup scheduled for October-November 2023, this year’s Asia Cup will be a fifty-over affair.
