The Asia Cup begins today (Saturday) with the opening clash between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, but all eyes are on the Sunday blockbuster that will see arch-rivals Pakistan and defending champions India pitted against each other. Matches start at 7pm local time.
The volatility of the T20 format and the growth of the game in the region could make the 2022 Asia Cup the most closely fought edition ever, say experts.
Former Pakistan captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram predicted that the the six-team tournament has the potential to showcase quality that has never been seen before.
Red-hot Azam to struggling Kohli: five to watch at Asia Cup
Leaving aside lone qualifier Hong Kong, the five other teams – which include record seven-time champions India, five-time winners Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh – are all capable of defeating each other on their day.
The tournament, which is being held in the T20 format after six years, had to be relocated to the UAE when hosts Sri Lanka indicated their inability to organise it at home due to the island nation's economic woes.
Though the conditions in the UAE will differ from those in Australia, (which stages the T20 World Cup in October-November), all competing teams will look to fine-tune their playing combination ahead of the mega ICC event.
There is also a lot at risk for the participating teams.
Pakistan v India
Pakistan have seen good momentum leading into the tournament, and will be aiming to win clinch a title they last won 10 years ago when it was played in the ODI format.
However, their bowling strength in the absence of Shaheen Afridi and Imad Wasim will be tested in a high-pressure situation, beginning with the opener against arch-rivals India on Sunday.
With a relatively inexperienced middle-order, there will be extra-dependence on the opening duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets in a T20 World Cup match in Dubai last year in their previous encounter.
For India, former captain and star batter Virat Kohli who is expected to come out of a prolonged lean patch will be the centre of attention. The performance of the top three including skipper Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul will be in focus. India will miss the services of their injured pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka have improved a lot under new head coach Chris Silverwood. Though the team boasts no big stars, there is no shortage of talent.
The event is also an excellent stage for lesser-known players, while also an opportunity to bring smiles back at home at a time of a massive economic crisis.
Afghanistan, led by seasoned campaigner Mohammad Nabi, will also be looking to triumph over the higher-ranked teams, something they were unable to do in the T20 World Cup here last year.
Rashid Khan as usual will be their trump card with the ball and expecting the batters to step up.
Bangladesh, who have struggled in the shortest format since the World Cup, will look to alter their fate under Shakib Al Hasan's leadership. To fill the weaknesses in the T20 setup, Sridharan Sriram has been brought in as technical director ahead of the World T20.
Groups
Defending champions India, who won the last Asia Cup in 2018 when it was played in a 50-over format, and Pakistan will be joined in Group A by Hong Kong who defeated the UAE in the final qualifier on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are in Group B.
Format
Each team will play each other in the league round and the top two teams from each group progress to a Super 4 stage, which could witness another contest between India and Pakistan.
The great rivals could then meet for the third time, should they both reach the September 11 final.
Dubai's readiness
In a statement by the Government of Dubai's Media Office on August 25, Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the organisation responsible for promoting sports activities across the city, confirmed the emirate's readiness to safely and securely host the matches of the much-anticipated 15th edition of the Asia Cup cricket tournament.
The 16-day tournament kicks off with the opening match at the Dubai International Stadium.
Dubai, the headquarters of the International Cricket Council (ICC), will host 10 of the 13 Asia Cup fixtures, including the opening match, the India-Pakistan header (28 August), and the title decider on 11 September.
The UAE will host the Asia Cup for the fourth time this year, hosting the Cup in 1984 (inaugural edition), 1995, and the most recent 2018 edition. Dubai hosted eight of the 13 Asia Cup matches in 2018, including the finals when India beat Bangladesh to lift the Cup at the Dubai International Stadium.
With over 4 million people from India and Pakistan calling the UAE their home, tickets to the India-Pakistan header on 28 August, dubbed the ‘final-before-the final’, were sold out in hours.
More than 1 billion viewers all over the world are expected to watch the contest on international platforms.
Khalid Al Zarooni, Chairman of the Board of Dubai Sports City, said: “We are delighted to host the 2022 Asia Cup, the second largest cricket event in the world. It is watched by millions of fans across Asia and beyond. Dubai International Stadium will host the tournament for the second consecutive time. The last edition was also held in Dubai in 2018. This reflects Dubai’s status as the best city to host such mega-events.”
Asia Cup 20222 matches are being played as Twenty20 Internationals in the run-up to the T20 World Cup that begins in October. “This year’s Asia Cup is seen as a precursor to the Twenty20 World Cup for the participating teams, as elite Asian cricket squads converge in Dubai to compete for the coveted trophy, including India, which aims to retain the title,” said Al Zarooni.
All systems go
Preparations for accommodating spectators at the Dubai International Stadium to ensure a smooth experience are complete, the statement added.
"Gates will open three hours before the start of the matches. The multi-purpose venue has a seating capacity of 25,000 (expandable to 30,000) and has hosted many international sporting events and concerts. The stadium is in Dubai Sports City on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. It is accessible by public transport while dedicated parking is available for fans who choose to arrive in their private vehicles."
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan. Standby: Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, Deepak Chahar.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir.
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan (c), Anamul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Ebadot Hossain, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Taskin Ahmed.
Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Ashen Bandara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwanidu Fernando, Dinesh Chandimal.
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (C), Najibullah Zadran (VC), Afsar Zazai (WK), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujib ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari and Usman Ghani.
Hong Kong: Nizakat Khan (c), Kinchit Shah, Zeeshan Ali, Haroon Arshad, Babar Hayat, Aftab Hussain, Ateeq Iqbal, Aizaz Khan, Ehsan Khan, Scott McKechnie (wk), Ghazanfar Mohammad, Yasim Murtaza, Dhananjay Rao, Wajid Shah, Ayush Shukla, Ahan Trivedi, Mohammad Waheed.
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