Since 2016, there has been a welcome change in tack so far as the Asian Cricket Council is concerned. Seeking to lend greater context to the , the symbol of continental supremacy, the governing body decided that the tournament would be staged in the format that the next World Cup was to be played in.
It was a refreshing development, given that it would help the Asian giants ease into the global event, in a manner of speaking. That’s how the inaugural T20 Asia Cup was staged in Bangladesh ahead of the 2016 World Cup, and why the 2022 edition in the UAE was a 20-over faceoff ahead of the larger canvas that was the World Cup in Australia.
Everything to play for
The next is more than five months away; the current edition of the Asia Cup, which begins on Tuesday, will therefore be a 20-over affair as the continental powerhouses take their first baby steps towards firming up plans and personnel. There is everything to play for the eight teams in the fray — while the established big boys will eye ultimate glory, the UAE, Hong Kong and Oman will entertain ambitions a little more modest and realistic.
In any competition of this nature, favourite-picking is an exercise fraught with danger and risk. Why then should it be any different now? In normal course, the needle of favouritism would perhaps rest on defending champs India’s side. But ’s men haven’t played a T20 International as a collective since February 2 and many in the 15-strong party, the skipper included, were last involved in competitive action in the first week of June.
Contrast this with Pakistan who, under Salman Agha, crushed Afghanistan in the final of a tri-series in Sharjah — hosts UAE were the third wheel — on Sunday. Or Sri Lanka, who bounced back from being bowled out on Saturday for 80, their second lowest T20I score, to hammer Zimbabwe in Sunday’s decider and complete a 2-1 victory.
And Bangladesh, who are fresh off a 2-0 home defeat of Netherlands.
Stiff test ahead
With due respect to the three other teams, these four are expected to present defending champions India with their stiffest tests. India’s lack of game-time might work against them, though it can’t be overlooked that there is no little professional steel and adaptability to today’s cricketers.
Sri Lanka will have happy memories of both the Emirates and the T20 Asia Cup. They are the defending T20 Asia Cup titlists, having swept aside in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium three years ago, and have come on by leaps and bounds since Sanath Jayasuriya took charge as coach a little over a year back. Pakistan have rung in the batting changes, leaving out former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan while retaining their core fast-bowling group, Afghanistan have added batting chops to bowling magic and Bangladesh seem energised under Litton Das.
Even so, all eyes will be on India, the current World Cup holders. They might be a touch rusty, but when has that ever insulated them from the weight of expectations?