Sri Lanka set to pose threat to other title contenders

A chance for UAE to get a crack at the �big boys�

Sri Lanka, buoyed by the return of the star players, would like to get into the groove when they face United Arab Emirates (UAE) first-up in a Asia Cup T20 tournament encounter at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur today.
Technically the Lankans are the defending champions of the regional tournament which was then a 50-over affair. They however have come off with a crushing 1-2 defeat at the hands of India, just a week ago but with the return of the first choice players, they are expected to pose a serious threat to the other favourites.
Historically the Bangladesh has been a lucky place for the Lankan team. After winning the Asia Cup in, they had also clinched the World T20 trophy here in 2014.
For UAE who stunned comparatively stronger side Afghanistan in the qualifier stage, Asia Cup serves another opportunity to get a crack at the ‘big boys’ in the game.
The comeback of the skipper Lasith Malinga and Test captain Angelo Mathews, both of whom were missing due to injuries during the recent T20 series against India gave the Sri Lankan team a formidable look.
The return of Malinga in the bowling department and Mathews as one of the most prolific all-rounders make Lanka runaway favourites against UAE, who have joined the ‘big boys’ after winning a four-team qualifying event prior to the tournament proper.
The other big boost for Sri Lanka will be seasoned left-arm spinner Rangana Herath’s return to the side. Herath’s experience will mean a lot for the defending World T20 champions on a slow Mirpur pitch.
The batting looks good with Tillekaratne Dilshan at the top along with Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedara and Thisara Perera, all of whom are proven match winners.
Sri Lanka’s bowling will have Malinga unleashing his toe-crushing yorkers and is expected to be complemented by Nuwan Kulasekara, who can move the ball both ways. The third seamer could be Dushmantha Chameera, who bowls at a lively pace.
Sachithra Senanayeke and Herath will be in charge of the spin department.
There were signs that the absence of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara has been felt as the team’s performance graph has been inconsistent since the two legends quit international cricket.
While there is no doubting the abilities of Chandimal and Kapugedara, the two batsmen expected to carry the burden of the team, their match-winning performances have been few and far in between.
UAE have done well by defeating Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman in the qualifying tournament. In fact, it was an upset win against Afghanistan when they won by 16 runs while their victories against Hong Kong and Oman came relatively easily — by 6 wickets and 71 runs respectively.
Right-arm medium fast bowler Mohammed Naveed, with seven wickets, and top-order batsman Mohammed Shahzad, with 111 runs, have been UAE’s star performers. They have other effective weapons like Muhammad Usman in their arsenal.

 

Sri Lanka set to pose threat to other title contenders

A chance for UAE to get a crack at the �big boys�

Sri Lanka, buoyed by the return of the star players, would like to get into the groove when they face United Arab Emirates (UAE) first-up in a Asia Cup T20 tournament encounter at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur today. Technically the Lankans are the defending champions of the regional tournament which was then a 50-over affair. They however have come off with a crushing 1-2 defeat at the hands of India, just a week ago but with the return of the first choice players, they are expected to pose a serious threat to the other favourites. Historically the Bangladesh has been a lucky place for the Lankan team. After winning the Asia Cup in, they had also clinched the World T20 trophy here in 2014. For UAE who stunned comparatively stronger side Afghanistan in the qualifier stage, Asia Cup serves another opportunity to get a crack at the big boys in the game. The comeback of the skipper Lasith Malinga and Test captain Angelo Mathews, both of whom were missing due to injuries during the recent T20 series against India gave the Sri Lankan team a formidable look. The return of Malinga in the bowling department and Mathews as one of the most prolific all-rounders make Lanka runaway favourites against UAE, who have joined the big boys after winning a four-team qualifying event prior to the tournament proper. The other big boost for Sri Lanka will be seasoned left-arm spinner Rangana Heraths return to the side. Heraths experience will mean a lot for the defending World T20 champions on a slow Mirpur pitch. The batting looks good with Tillekaratne Dilshan at the top along with Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamara Kapugedara and Thisara Perera, all of whom are proven match winners. Sri Lankas bowling will have Malinga unleashing his toe-crushing yorkers and is expected to be complemented by Nuwan Kulasekara, who can move the ball both ways. The third seamer could be Dushmantha Chameera, who bowls at a lively pace. Sachithra Senanayeke and Herath will be in charge of the spin department. There were signs that the absence of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara has been felt as the teams performance graph has been inconsistent since the two legends quit international cricket. While there is no doubting the abilities of Chandimal and Kapugedara, the two batsmen expected to carry the burden of the team, their match-winning performances have been few and far in between. UAE have done well by defeating Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Oman in the qualifying tournament. In fact, it was an upset win against Afghanistan when they won by 16 runs while their victories against Hong Kong and Oman came relatively easily by 6 wickets and 71 runs respectively. Right-arm medium fast bowler Mohammed Naveed, with seven wickets, and top-order batsman Mohammed Shahzad, with 111 runs, have been UAEs star performers. They have other effective weapons like Muhammad Usman in their arsenal.