Shahid Afridi was in the United States for an extensive franchise cricket season which saw him take part in GT20 Canada and US Masters T10. Afridi and the two Bollywood stars could be seen having an animated conversation in the video.

The Asia Cup 2023 match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to be held on 2 September.

Afridi and the two stars could be seen having an animated conversation in the video.

“Have been on the road between Canada for GT20 Canada and the USA for US Masters T10 and multiple charity events for the Shahid Afridi Foundation past 40 days. I miss Pakistan. One thing is for sure, Nothing unites people more than sports, especially cricket. Love this game,” Afridi captioned his Instagram post.

Three possible high-octane India versus Pakistan games for the starved fans on both sides of the border along with a final chance for five nations to put their respective houses in order before the World Cup adds context to Asia Cup, starting in Multan on Wednesday.

It is a tournament that has often struggled to find relevance in the midst of mushrooming bilateral contests over the last decade along with waning popularity of ODI cricket but the 2023 edition, beginning on Wednesday, has occupied a large slice of the mind space of team think tanks.

It is the final stop for five of the six teams barring Nepal, to find answers for some nagging questions ahead of the global event, starting October 5.

India will enter the Asia Cup as a seven-time champions, most by any team, but adding an eighth title might just not feature on top of their bucket list.

A title win will certainly be welcomed, but the brain bank consisting of head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma will be eager to see a few pieces fall in place ahead of the World Cup.

Updated: 29 Aug 2023, 06:08 PM IST