Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has predicted an India-Pakistan final at the upcoming Asia Cup and the 2023 World Cup. He expressed hope that relations between the two countries would improve to make such matches possible. Akhtar also mentioned the importance of trade between India and Pakistan and urged people from both sides to work towards closing the gap instead of burning bridges. Furthermore, he expressed his desire for Pakistan to take revenge in the upcoming World Cup for their loss in the 2011 World Cup semi-final against India. However, doubts remain over whether India will travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in September, and the Pakistan Cricket Board has threatened to pull out of the ODI World Cup scheduled to take place in India a month later if they do not. Both countries have not played any bilateral series since Pakistan’s 2012-13 tour of India.