Confident Lankans leave for Asia Cup tourney
Sri Lankan Cricket team led by Dasun Shanaka will leave today for the Asia Cup T -20 cricket tournament which will commence on August 27 in UAE (Dubai and Sharjah).
This time Sri Lanka has prepared well and are determined to win the title as they have a team which is a blend of youth and experience.
The Right-arm fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera the main strike bowler has been ruled out of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup squad with a leg injury and that is a big blow for the team.
Chameera sustained an injury on his left leg during team practice. He has been replaced by Nuwan Thushara in the 18-man squad.
Sri Lanka announced their squad on Saturday, 20 August, minus Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha, who are also nursing injuries. While Sri Lanka have an experienced spin bowling line-up, their fast-bowling unit now mostly features uncapped players in T20Is – Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Asitha Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana, the replacement Thusara only having played a handful of T20Is.
An uncapped 21-year-old left-arm seamer, Dilshan Madushanka a product of Hungama Vijayaba MV has found a place in the squad. Another notable inclusion in the squad is Ashen Bandara, who last represented Sri Lanka in July 2021 in a T20I against India.
Also returning to the T20I team are the experienced duo of Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, and Jeffrey Vandersay, all of whom missed Sri Lanka’s last T20I series against Australia at home in June which the visitors won by a 2-1 margin. The Asia Cup 2022 was scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka but due to present economic crisis of the country the venue changed to UAE but Sri Lanka will remain hosts for the tournament.
Every effort was made to host the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken after much deliberation,” said Jay Shah, the Asian Cricket Council President,”The UAE will be the new venue while Sri Lanka will continue to retain hosting rights and hope to conduct this successfully.
The Asia Cup which was last held in 2018, will be played in T20 format this time and serve as preparation for the World Cup in October. It already started with qualifying round matches between UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong now in progress in Oman. The winner of the qualifying round will go on to the main tournament and play with Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
The Asian Cricket Council Asia Cup is a men’s One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament started in 1983 when the Asian Cricket Council was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. It was originally scheduled to be held every two years. The Asia Cup is the only continental championship in cricket and the winning team becomes the champions of Asia. It alternates every 2-years between ODI and T20I formats with seven titles (six ODI and one T20I).
India is the most successful team in the tournament. Sri Lanka is the second most successful team, with five wins. Meanwhile Sri Lanka has played the most Asia Cups (14) followed by India, Pakistan and Bangladesh who have played 13 each.
Two Sri Lankans – Master Blaster Sanath Jayasuriya has scored most runs (1220) while Lasith Malinga has taken most number of wickets (33) in this tournament. Sri Lanka last time won the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in 2014 when they beat Pakistan by five wickets in the final. In the Last Asia Cup in 2018 India clinched the title defeating Bangladesh by 3 wickets in UAE.
Sri Lanka squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka(V.Capt) Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Ashen Bandara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Chamika Karunaratne, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwanidu Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Dinesh Chandimal, Promod Madushan and Asitha Fernando, Chris Silverwood (Head coach), Naveed Nawaz (Assistant coach), Mahinda Halangoda (Manager)