Asia Cup 2018: Assessing the contenders for the tournament

The Asia Cup or ‘Asian World Cup’, as many fans call the tournament, is just around the corner. With all the teams having announced their squads, it’s the right time for a preview of the much-awaited event. What adds to all of the buzz is the fact that the ICC Cricket World Cup is a mere 10 months away, so the teams would ideally want to lock onto a certain group of players, who could potentially bring success at the marquee event. Here is how the groups have been divided.

Group A: Hong Kong, India and Pakistan.

Group B: Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Venue: United Arab Emirates.

The Asia Cup qualifiers ended in dramatic fashion, with the controversial Duckworth Lewis Method once again playing a major part, the result of which meant UAE would feel robbed of an opportunity to play such a prestigious tournament in home conditions. Full credit to Hong Kong though, who, against all odds, have qualified for the Asia Cup. With the ICC granting them ‘temporary ODI status’, they would be looking to make the most of this opportunity and prove to the ICC once again as to why the 10-team World Cup is a bad idea.

This time around, I’m not going to make any presumptions as to who’s going to win or which group will be the more competitive one. The last time I had done so was for the Champions Trophy 2017, where Pakistan, to my, and largely the world’s surprise, had triumphed.

If the Nidahas Trophy that took place earlier this year is anything to go by, the Asia Cup is going to be two weeks of sheer thrill, to say the least. At this point of time, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka aren’t too distant from each other in terms of squad depth and quality. India and Pakistan too, seem to be playing their limited overs cricket on a very similar scale of intensity. Whether Hong Kong has a few surprises up their sleeve is yet to be seen, which is also something that I wouldn’t mind as a viewer; not one bit.

Pitch and Conditions

ODI’s in the UAE are generally played on low and slow wickets, owing to the fact that they are followed by the Test Matches, for which that kind of tracks are prepared. Evident of that is the average runs per wicket at the grounds in the UAE.

The Dubai International Cricket Stadium stands at 28.59 RPW (Runs Per Wicket), whereas the Sheikh Zayed Stadium (Abu Dhabi) is at 29.26 RPW, which, by no means are high numbers when compared to international venues such as the Rose Bowl (35.13), Trent Bridge (33.27), Lord’s (32.04), Seddon Park (34.60), Saxton Oval (39.43), M Chinnaswamy Stadium (34.99) or the MCA Stadium (37.87).

Since this tournament is preceding any particular Test series, having those ‘dust bowls’ doesn’t seem very likely. Expect a lot of runs being scored across the 22 yards, albeit away from the norm in this part of the world.

As far as the weather is concerned, expect no respite for the players. With the humidity predicted to be in excess of 70 percent, coupled with the weather touching 40 degrees Celsius, it’s going to be a test of stamina and endurance.

However, the fact that this is a tournament being played between sub-continental teams should make the situation a lot easier as the weather in these areas, in general, tends to be on an extreme side.

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It goes without saying that unless they pull some rabbits out of the hat, Hong Kong are not genuine contenders for winning the Asia Cup crown. Having said that, let us look at the other 5 sides who would be looking to bring the trophy home.

#1 India

Kohli's absence will leave behind a huge hole in this team.

It’s difficult to overlook India as a threat in any tournament that they’re a part of, particularly in these conditions. But with the absence of their talisman Virat Kohli and the recent surge of Pakistan, I’d not go as far ahead as to label them as the favourites.

The main positive I can think of for India is that the bowling attack looks the strongest and fittest it has been in a while. With Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah almost at 100% fitness levels, aided with the mystery and guile of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, potent is the word to describe this bowling attack. Each of these bowlers are wicket takers and more importantly, in a unique way of their own.

When it comes down to the batting, the openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan need to step up, as they have done over a considerable period of time. The challenge for them would be to handle the added pressure of Kohli’s absence. It considerably increases the price and value of their wickets.

Judging by the squad, KL Rahul will probably be promoted to number three, but I would go with the experience of Ambati Rayudu for the all-important slot. Either of Manish Pandey or Kedar Jadhav would be put in at number 4, with MS Dhoni at number 5. The finishing duties should be handed over to Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya. Sure, the middle order does look a bit fragile but, again, the experience of Rohit, Dhawan and Dhoni should be a huge morale boost for the rest of the squad.

#2 Pakistan

A side with the ideal blend of youth and experience.

There was always this sense of unpredictability associated with Pakistan. That factor has slowly but steadily been diminished by this Sarfraz Ahmed-led side. The Champions Trophy 2017 campaign, which started on the grimmest of notes, turned out to be a revolutionary one. They not only won it in an emphatic manner but found a host of new talent along the way, although none more than Fakhar Zaman.

The southpaw has, since then, scored at a staggering average of 76, in excess of 1000 runs (including a double hundred). The starts he provides are key to the side. Their exuberant number three, Babar Azam has been very successful ever since he made his ODI debut against the Windies and knows how to score runs, particularly in the UAE.

Coming to the middle order, what Shoaib Malik brings to Pakistan is what Dhoni brings to India; stability. The 36-year-old veteran has, time and again, been the knight in shining armour and fits right into this dynamic and fit Pakistan side.

Sarfraz, too, is reliable, particularly in the middle overs. The problem arises when he is exposed to the new ball, where his technique gets opened up. Asif Ali, the newfound finisher can give the ball a whack and a lot is expected of him, as the selectors have picked him over the experienced Mohammed Hafeez.

The bowling is where Pakistan is such a merciless and vicious side. Mohammed Amir and Hassan Ali attack the stumps upfront and are genuinely quick. Led brilliantly by the duo, the reserves have looked the part as well. Of the options of the 5th bowler, left arm pacers Junaid Khan, Usman Shinwari, Shaheen Afridi and orthodox spinner Mohammed Nawaz are more than capable of fitting into the starting XI.

Shadab Khan adds a lot of variety and Faheem Ashraf is someone with a lot of control, so there is a sense of security in the middle overs. It’s not an easy task to score runs against this team and the oppositions would have their work cut out against Pakistan.

#3 Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka needs to find motivation from its senior players.

For starters, the Sri Lankans just need to look into the short history of the Asia Cup and it isn’t too difficult to notice the impact that their fellow countrymen have had on the tournament. Leading the tournament batting charts are Sanath Jayasuriya (1196 runs at 54.36) and Kumar Sangakkara (1075 runs at 48.86) and the top three wicket takers are Muttiah Muralitharan (30 wickets), Lasith Malinga (28 wickets) and Ajantha Mendis (26 wickets).

After the appointment of head coach Chandika Hathurusingha, Sri Lanka has been a side that’s on the rise. They’re still quite the distance away from being perfect, but it seems to me that the team is in the right hands. Despite surrendering the ODI series to South Africa 3-2, the Lankans displayed some serious fighting spirit and boasted the kind of potential they possess.

Captain Angelo Mathews should ideally bat at number 4, face the majority of the deliveries and act as a bridge between the top and middle order by batting through the innings. There’s unpredictability but quality upfront with Dickwella, who doesn’t shy away from playing his shots.

Dinesh Chadimal’s comeback is a much-welcomed one for Sri Lanka, he’s pure quality and adds some much-needed stability at the top. Upul Tharanga has to find a way to shed off the poor form and play the long kinds of innings that he’s known for. He’s enjoyed a good domestic run though, in the Sri Lankan T20 cup.

Kusal Perera should be used as a floater. The left-hander can be destructive and has worked very hard on his game in the last 6 months or so, something that the numbers are reflective of. Thisara Perera, too, has reinvented himself as a cricketer and that has led to a big change in his numbers with the bat. Dasun Shanaka and Dhananjaya de Silva are a couple of very aggressive and innovative batsmen, both of whom have had good a good series against South Africa.

Akila Dhananjaya, according to me, is the strike bowler for Sri Lanka and is particularly deadly in the middle overs. If he can be well supported through a good start by Lasith Malinga and Suranga Lakmal, the bowling lineup starts to look like a decent one. Whether Malinga is still good enough to play international cricket, only time will tell.

Dhananjaya de Silva is a decent option in the middle overs, but not someone who causes too many problems. Surely, teams would be looking to target him as soon as he comes on. In the death overs, Thisara Perera has a good variety of deliveries up his sleeve and could be well backed up by Malinga and Lakmal.

What strikes me the most about this Sri Lankan side is the massive upgrade in the quality of fielding. That’s the most obvious change in the past year or so. It’s always a bonus, particularly in the limited over formats.

#4 Bangladesh

Recent success away from home is the confidence booster for Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh team is fresh off an ODI series victory against the Windies, away from home. The confidence from that series is exactly what that the team would look to carry into this tournament. Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan are the two key batsmen in the top order and much for the delight of Bangladesh, they have found themselves in a rich vein of form.

Shakib’s form with the bat is a relief for this team and something they would be motivated by, particularly after the long-term finger injury that he sustained. Mushfiqur Rahim is another senior member of this team, but unlike Shakib and Tamim, he’s still searching for runs.

These conditions are ideal and in the very first game of the tournament against Sri Lanka, I’d push him up to number 4 to instil some sort of confidence in him. Mahmudullah is a quality finisher, but he needs to do it against the top sides on a more consistent basis. Liton Das is a stroke-maker up top and he showed glimpses of his quality in the away series against South Africa.

The bowling attack is, without a doubt, so dependent on Mustafizur Rahman. When on song, he’s absolute gold with the new ball and at the tail-end of the innings. However, the youngster hasn’t quite found his mojo after the long-term shoulder injury that he sustained. Mashrafe Mortaza, his bowling partner, is in the twilight of his career but is still a handy bowler, particularly with the new ball.

Like Shakib the batsman, Shakib the bowler is a very vital cog to this setup and he not only needs to contain but has to get wickets at the same time, simply because there is no other strike bowler to get wickets in the middle overs. Rubel Hossain is unpredictable and Mahmudullah isn’t someone who can run oppositions down with his bowling.

#5 Afghanistan

Rashid Khan holds the key for Afghanistan.

When we talk of Afghanistan, it’s hard to overlook and resist one name; Rashid Khan. The 19-year-old has done so much for Afghanistan and every other domestic team that he has represented. This, though, is by far, his biggest test as a cricketer. Against some quality Asian teams, it’s surely not going to be easy, but Rashid has shown everyone during the IPL that he can trouble the best of batsmen.

Mujeeb ur Rahman, too, is a quality bowler, especially with the new ball and even if he doesn’t get wickets, he isn’t someone who’ll leak too many runs. Mujeeb’s advantage is that he is relatively new and not many batsmen in world cricket have played him.

Mohammed Nabi is as clever as they get and his job is to hold one end up while the others go for wickets. The problem area is the lack of quality in the pace department. Wafadar looked good in the Test match against India, but he has been ruled out of this tournament.

The batting almost solely relies on Mohammed Shahzad providing them with a quick start, without which the skipper Asghar Afghan needs to stabilize the innings at number three. Mohammed Nabi is an experienced cricketer and needs to use all of that in the middle order to keep this ‘thin as a thread’ looking Afghanistan batting lineup together.

Having said that, if they can get to the 240-250 mark, the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman could cause a few problems for the opposition.