Tag: Asia Cup

DUBAI: Sri Lanka’s wicket-keeper batter Kusal Mendis led the way with a magnificent half-century while captain Dasun Shanaka scored an important 45 to propel their side to beat Bangladesh by two wickets and qualified for the Super Fours of Asia Cup 2022.

Set to chase a mammoth 184, Sri Lanka steered to the victory in the final over with two wickets to spare, thanks to the fifty from Mendis and an anchoring knock from their captain Shanaka.

Sri Lankan openers Mendis and Pathum Nissanka provided a solid start to the run chase as they began to pile up runs at a quick rate. Nissanka, however, who was struggling to get going, fell victim to the debutant Ebadot Hossain in the sixth over after scoring 20 off 19.

Charith Asalanka’s stay at the crease remained brief as he also departed for a paltry score of one in the same over while attempting to slog the ball.

The hosts then lost two more wickets in quick succession and were soon reduced to 77/4 in the ninth over.

Following the slump, Mendis and Shanaka scripted an astounding recovery as the pair put on an important 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket and made sure to score according to the mounting required run rate before Mendis perished in the 15th over.

The right-handed batter top-scored for the side with a brilliant 60 off 37 deliveries with the help of four boundaries and three sixes.

Shanaka, on the other hand, held his ground firm and anchored the run chase with a valiant knock of 45 off just 33 balls with the help of three boundaries and two sixes.

The high-scoring thriller took a sharp twist in the 18th over when Shanaka fell to Mahedi Hasan while attempting to muscle the ball over the long-on fence.

Sri Lanka’s batting tail – Chamika Karunaratne and Asitha Fernando, however, denied the twist and Bangladesh’s comeback in the game as the two batters batted sensibly at the death and clinched the victory out of Bangladesh’s grasp.

Karunaratne scored an important 16 off just 10 deliveries before being run out in the 19th over, while Fernando remained unbeaten with his 10 and steered Sri Lanka over the line and into the Super Fours.

For Sri Lanka, Ebadot led the way with three wickets, while Taskin Ahmed claimed two. Mustafizur Rahman and Mahedi, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

Sri Lanka, after winning the toss, invited Bangladesh to bat first. The decision, however, did not seem to go in the hosts’ favour as their opponents piled up a massive 183/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

Batting first, Bangladesh were off to a dismal start as they lost their first wicket in the third over at a combined score of mere 19 with Sabbir Rahman walking back to the pavilion in disgust after managing to score only five.

Opening batter Mehidy Hasan Miraz and skipper Shakib Al Hasan then anchored the inning with an important 39-run partnership for the second wicket.

The partnership was majorly dominated by the opener, who scored at a quick pace for his 38. He faced 28 deliveries and smashed four boundaries including two sixes to give his side a solid start.

Shakib, on the other hand, held his ground firm with an anchoring knock while wicket-keeper batter Mushfiqur Rahim fell cheaply for a mere four in the next over and Bangladesh, as a result, slipped to 63/3 in eight overs.

Following the slump, middle-order batter Afif Hossain then took on the Sri Lankan bowlers and raced up the proceedings with his blistering knock and remained unaffected by Shakib’s dismissal in the 11th over, who scored a snail-paced 24 off 22 deliveries.

Afif, however, top-scored for Bangladesh with a quickfire 39 off just 27 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes.

A late onslaught from all-rounder Mosaddek Hossain then bolstered Bangladesh to breach the 180-run mark as the side finished at 183/7 in 20 overs. He scored a quickfire 24 off just nine balls including four boundaries.

For Sri Lanka, Chamika Karunaratne and Wanindu Hasaranga bagged two wickets each, while Asitha Fernando, Maheesh Theekshana, and Dilshan Madushanka struck out a batter apiece.

READ: Pakistan pacer Mohammad Sami ‘unhurt’ in Karachi’s car accident

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez made a major assertion regarding India’s all-format skipper Rohit Sharma by stating that the latter looked scared and confused.

Rohit, on Wednesday, led India to a second consecutive win in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, following which the defending champions booked their place in the Super Fours of the continental. The victory against Hong Kong was Rohit’s 31st as the captain – the second most by an Indian after MS Dhoni.

Former Pakistan captain Hafeez, however, did not look impress with the Indian captain and questioned his body language while walking out for the toss for the Hong Kong clash.

“Look at his expression. This was after the match was over, India won by 40 runs. I am talking about the body language when Rohit Sharma walked out for the toss. I thought it was a very weak body language. He looked scared and confused. From what I have observed during the match, captaincy is adding a lot of pressure on Rohit Sharma. He is facing a lot of problems,” said Hafeez.

“IPL did not go well for him and after IPL, he hasn’t been able to regain the flow in international cricket,” he added.

https://twitter.com/MHafeez22/status/1565325895468032002

 

The former Pakistan all-rounder also claimed that captaincy is adding a lot of pressure on Rohit. Whereas, the supposed new approach from India is not reflected by their captain’s body language.

“Also, the pressure of leading India. He has been saying a lot of things about the brand of cricket, we will play positively… this and that, but it’s not reflected in the way the team is playing,” Hafeez claimed.

“It’s not reflected by his own body language. It’s easy to talk but to do it and show it on the field is difficult,” he maintained.

Hafeez then went on to make a major prediction regarding Rohit’s future as India’s captain and claimed that the latter will not be continuing to lead the side for long.

“He won’t continue as captain for long. His form and all things that are going on with him, from what I can see… I was also a captain, so if you are under pressure when leading the side. I have seen Rohit on a lot of occasions, he enjoys himself but now he is not expressing himself. A lot of things are going on in his mind, he is under pressure and I feel sorry for him,” Hafeez concluded.

READ: ‘Pakistan should adopt revision policy for their pacers’ says Umar Gul

DUBAI: Former Pakistan pacer and current Afghanistan bowling coach Umar Gul advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to adopt a rotation policy for their fast bowlers.

Gul, who is accompanying the Afghanistan cricket team here in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, interacted with the media, heaped praises on Pakistan’s fast bowling attack and shared a piece of advice for the pacers.

“I think Pakistan’s fast bowlers need to be taken care of a lot and for this, a rotation policy needs to be adopted,” stated Gul.

“Pakistan has very good fast bowlers, the bench strength is also good. So, they have to be taken care of,” he maintained.

The former right-arm Pakistan pacer also opined regarding the ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and termed the latter a key player for the country in the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi will be very important in T20 World Cup, he must regain his fitness before the global event,” Gul said.

“Everyone expressed their concerns about Shaheen Afridi that he is being overloaded but he kept playing continuously but, we must agree that he also performed really well,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Gul’s Afghanistan have stormed into the Super 4s of the Asia Cup 2022 by defeating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Group B fixtures. Besides Afghanistan, India have also made their way into the final four.

READ: KP beat Northern in a thriller to secure second win in National T20 Cup 

DUBAI: Sri Lanka have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Bangladesh in a must-win Group B fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

PLAYING XIs

Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mushfiqur Rahim, Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Ebadot Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka

HEAD TO HEAD

Asia Cup: Matches-12, India-8, Pakistan-4, NR-0

DUBAI: Pakistan cricket team has cancelled their final training session for the must-win Group A fixture of Asia Cup 2022 against Hong Kong, scheduled on Friday.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the national contingent has been given rest today. The Green Shirts will lock horns with Hong Kong on Friday in a bid to seal a Super 4s berth.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Pakistan left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman, wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq did not partake in the scheduled training session.

Whereas, pacers – Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Shahnawaz Dahani – enjoyed a rest day on Tuesday before rejoining the squad in Wednesday’s training session.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan pacers Haris and Naseem suffered from cramps during the high-octane clash against the arch-rivals India on Sunday. The men in blue edged past Pakistan by five wickets in a final-over thriller.

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DUBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz asserted that the morale of the national team is high and will try to perform well in the upcoming matches of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

Nawaz, who interacted with the media on the sidelines of the team’s training session at the ICC Academy Ground on Wednesday, revealed that the national side is confident of performing well in their upcoming Asia Cup fixtures.

“The morale of the team is high, we will try to perform well in the upcoming matches,” said Nawaz.

The left-arm spinner also opened up about him bowling the nerve-wracking last over in the high-voltage clash against India and acknowledged that it is not an easy task for spinners to bowl the penultimate over in the shortest format.

“It is not easy for spinners to bowl the last over in T20s but I was confident in the match against India,” claimed Nawaz.

“The situation of the match became such that I had to bowl that last over,” he maintained.

Nawaz then went on to reveal the fitness status of right-arm pacer Naseem Shah and insisted that the young speedster did not sustain an injury.

“Naseem Shah is not dealing with an injury, he had cramps,” he concluded.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan will take on Hong Kong in a must-win match in the Asia Cup on September 2 in a bid to secure a spot in the Super 4s.

READ: Rizwan, Fakhar rest as Pakistan squad trains for Hong Kong clash

DUBAI: Pakistan left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman and wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan given rest from the national squad’s scheduled training session for their must-win clash against Hong Kong in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

According to the details, the Pakistan contingent underwent a training session for their Group A fixture against Hong Kong, at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground.

The national players carried out vigorous fielding drills alongside net sessions for bowling and batting practice.

Three Pakistan pacers – Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Shahnawaz Dahani, who were given rest from the Tuesday’s training session have rejoined the squad.

Whereas, the head coach of the national cricket team Saqlain Mushtaq did not supervise the training session as a result of minor pain in his knee. Reports suggest that a ball hit his knee during yesterday’s training session.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan will take on Hong Kong in a must-win game on September 2 in a bid to make their way into the Super 4s of the Asia Cup 2022.

Defending champions India and Afghanistan have already booked their Super 4s spots following a dominant unbeaten show in their respective groups.

READ: Yadav, bowlers star as India thrash Hong Kong to secure Super 4s berth

DUBAI: India’s young batter Suryakumar Yadav scored a blistering half-century before the bowlers displayed combined effort to hand their side a resounding 40 runs victory over Hong Kong and confirmed their place in the Super 4s of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

Set to chase a massive 193, Hong Kong fell 40 runs short of glory as the side finished at 152/2 in the allotted 20 overs.

Hong Kong had a poor start to their run chase as they lost their opener Yasim Murtaza for a combined score of a mere 12 in the second over.

Skipper Nizakat Khan and their top batter Babar Hayat then anchored the run chase with an important 39-run partnership for the second wicket before the captain, who was struggling to get going fell victim to a run-out in the sixth over.

Babar’s stay at the crease also remained brief following the dismissal as he walked back to the pavilion after adding 23 runs for the third wicket with Kinchit Shah. The right-handed batter top-scored for the side with a valiant 41 off 35 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and two sixes.

The side then lost two more wickets in quick successions, which halted their chances to seal an upset victory. Shah remained the second top-scorer for his side with 30.

Wicket-keeper batter Zeeshan Ali remained unbeaten with his quick 26 but his efforts too, could not inspire Hong Kong to victory.

For India, Avesh Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck out a batter each.

After being put into bat first by Hong Kong, India enjoyed a late onslaught from Yadav and an anchoring knock from Kohli, which powered them to a massive 192/2 in 20 overs.

The men in blue were off to an unwanted start as the side lost their captain Rohit Sharma cheaply for 21 in the fifth over.

Following the early horror, newly-arrived Kohli joined hands with KL Rahul and added 56 runs for the second wicket.

Kohli was looking solid amid the stand, while Rahul was struggling to score at a quick pace and in the end, fell victim to Mohammad Ghazanfar in the 13th. He scored a snail-paced 36 off 39 deliveries.

Kohli and Suryakumar then gave a much-needed boost to their side as they added 98 runs in the last seven overs. Kohli played an anchoring knock of an unbeaten 59 off 44 deliveries, laced with a boundary and three sixes.

Suryakumar, on the other hand, top-scored with a quickfire 68 off a mere 26 deliveries; smashing six boundaries and as many sixes.

For Hong Kong, Ghazanfar and Ayush Shukla managed to make one scalp each.

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DUBAI: Hong Kong have won the toss and opted to bowl first against India in the Group A fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup 2022, on Wednesday.

PLAYING XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

Hong Kong: Nizakat Khan (c), Babar Hayat, Yasim Murtaza, Kinchit Shah, Scott McKechnie (wk), Haroon Arshad, Aizaz Khan, Zeeshan Ali, Ehsan Khan, Ayush Shukla, Mohammad Ghazanfar

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined the arch-rivals India and Pakistan for the slow-over rate in the much-anticipated clash of the Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday.

According to the details, both teams have been fined 40 percent of their match fees following the breaching of Article 2.22.

Jeff Crowe of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees assessed the penalties after determining that the teams had fallen two overs short of their respective targets after taking time restrictions into account.

As a result, the players are penalised 20% of their match fees for each over their team fails to bowl within the permitted time under the minimum over-rate provisions of Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

Both captains – Babar and Rohit, however, accepted the proposed sanctions and as a result, the need for the formal hearing was waived off.

It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan were also left short of one fielder in the last three overs of the match, which made it tough for the Green Shirts to defend 148 runs against their arch-rivals India.

READ: Saim stars as Sindh beat Northern to secure second win in National T20 Cup