The Asia Cup 2023 will start from today i.e. 30 August with 1st match between Pakistan vs Nepal will be played at Multan Cricket Stadium. The high-voltage India vs Pakistan faceoff is set for 2 September at Kandy in Sri Lanka. The Asia Cup 2023 sees Pakistan and Nepal placed in Group A, alongside India.

This year, Pakistan is set to host four matches of the Asia Cup 2023 while the rest 9 matches including the 5 Super Fours and Asia Cup 2023 final will be hosted by Sri Lanka.

Ahead of the India vs Pakistan match, former Pakistan cricketer, Salman Butt in conversation with Hafiz Muhamamad Imran on his YouTube channel said that India is no more a threat to Pakistan as the country plays effectively only when their star batters Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli deliver on the field. In the 4.21 minutes conversation, he also spoke about India's weak batting and fitness of the country's fast bowlers.

“If we look at India’s fast bowling, fitness is a concern. Players have been unfit for a long time, we don’t know if they are fragile, will they go full throttle," he said in the video posted on his YouTube channel.

He added, “Pakistan vs India matches are different. India have won matches against Pakistan only when Rohit Sharma has played well or Virat Kohli has done something spectacular. However, when the onus is on others they have mostly struggled."

Speaking about Pakistan's strength he said that the team have a much larger core group. “Pakistan have Babar, Rizwan, Fakhar, Shadab, Shaheen, Haris Rauf. And in my opinion Pakistan have a much larger core group," he said. He also added that Pakistan's team have bowlers who can bowl at 90mph, spinners, fast bowling all-rounder who can touch 140kph.

In the video, he also said that India too have match-winners like Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jaspri Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. But the team's battling is brittle. "If Pakistan pick the two big wickets then the others will have a lot to prove. They have not helped India win matches against Pakistan or in their own," he said.