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Sehwag urges Indian team to boycott Asia Cup over back-to-back matches

Virender Sehwag slammed the tight schedule of Asia Cup 2018 and asked Indian cricket team to boycott the tournament.

Sehwag urges Indian team to boycott Asia Cup over back-to-back matches

Virender Sehwag

Veteran Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag on Wednesday (25th July) slammed the tight schedule of Asia Cup 2018 and asked Indian cricket team to boycott the tournament. Taking offence to back-to-back matches, Virender Sehwag said a player needs a minimum of 24-48 hours rests after playing an ODI match.

“I am really shocked to see the scheduling because which country plays back-to-back cricket matches these days? There was a gap of two days in between the T20 matches in England and here you are playing ODIs under hot Dubai weather and that too without a break. So, I don’t think this is a correct scheduling,” Sehwag was quoted saying to India TV.

“Why there’s such hue and cry over playing the Asia Cup? Don’t play the Asia Cup. Prepare the team for the home series or the away series. It’s really difficult to play back-to-back games,” a furious Sehwag added.

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Defending Asia cup champions India will take on their arch-rival Pakistan on September 19, just a day after starting their campaign. India will start their campaign with a qualifier in Dubai, the International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday (24th July).

“There shouldn’t be any back-to-back games. If the BCCI had to cancel anything then it should have been the qualifier game in the Asia Cup rather than reducing the four-day practice match against Essex to three days. A player needs at least 48 hours to recover after playing an ODI match because you field for 3.5 hours and after that if you bat for 2 hours then it makes your total time spend on the ground to 5.5 hours. So, it takes a minimum of 24 to 48 hours for a player to recover,” Sehwag added.

Indian team is placed in the Group A with Pakistan and the qualifier. While the Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the next stage.

In the tournament opener, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will face each-other in Dubai on September 15. The final of the Asia cup 2018 will be played on September 28.

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