Gulf News experts discuss the teams strengths and weakness and the format of the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament, which kicked off with the qualifiers in Oman on Saturday. It’s going to be a bonanza for the fans in the UAE and across the world as the Asian powerhouses could meet each other for a maximum of three times. Will any of the other teams pose a threat to these two strong contenders, watch to find out for more.
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#UAEnews #cricketnews #asiacup2022
Read the full story here:
See more videos at https://gulfnews.com/videos
Read more Gulf News stories here: https://bit.ly/2HLJ2km
Subscribe to Gulf News on YouTube and watch more of our videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/GulfNewsTV
#UAEnews #cricketnews #asiacup2022
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, everyone. The Asia Cup is back and we are back with straight back. Joining
00:13Gulf News as usual is Mr Cricket UAE, that is Anish Sarjan. We also have with us a Gulf
00:18News Sports Editor, a.k.a. Satish. So let's dive in straight away. Anish, what are your
00:23thoughts on this Asia Cup which is in the UAE, starting in the UAE. In fact, the qualifier
00:28starts tomorrow and the main tournament starts on August 27th. So we are in for a cricket
00:33feast. Take us through that. Thank you, Shyam. Hello, Satish and hello to all the people
00:38of Gulf News. Yes, the Asia Cup is kick-tasting today with the qualifiers and the big game
00:43starts on the 27th. And what better place to hold the tournament than in the UAE, that
00:47is Dubai and Sharjah. It should be a cracker of a game with all the teams playing this
00:52tournament in contention, whether it is India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh
00:58and UAE. Who knows who is going to win this tournament. So we should have a great feast, Shyam.
01:01Satish, coming back to it, one of the things which is baffling people is the format. Because
01:07normally it used to be a 50-over format and now we are suddenly under the 20-over format.
01:12Take us through that. 50-over is… Now next year there is going to be a one-day tournament.
01:18So maybe if that is the year, then they would have had a 50-over. I think it goes with the
01:21World Cup. This year it is going to be a T20 World Cup and that's why it is kind of like
01:26a prelude to the T20 World Cup. So they are changing the format based on that. If I remember
01:30right, that's the way the thinking goes on. So it's going to be a cracker of a contest
01:36because this will be a kind of a preparation ground for all the teams to showcase and get
01:42ready for the World Cup. So that's one of the thought process for all the teams must
01:47be.
01:48Definitely again, Asia home, Asia Cup is… For Asia Cup, UAE is its spiritual home. The
01:55Asia Cup was born in Sharjah and we have several editions here. Not just that, five of the
02:01teams which play here have a huge expat following here. India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
02:06Sri Lanka. They have plenty of support here. So we should see packed stadiums, isn't it?
02:11What better place to hold an Asia Cup?
02:13Definitely Shyam, when you spoke about the first Asia Cup which happened in Sharjah,
02:16I still remember hearing that commentary on radio where India managed Pakistan and
02:20Sri Lanka and lift that first Asia Cup. And after that, there have been 14 Asia Cups which
02:24has happened. So this time again, people will be now looking forward to see especially the
02:29big games, India and Pakistan. And mind you, there's a good fan following of Bangladesh
02:33as well as Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. And if UAE, which looks likely that they should
02:38make it as a sixth team. So all the games should be a full house.
02:41Absolutely. Which means we will be having full houses and what an atmosphere it's going
02:47to be. Satish, looking at the format of the game, coming back to you again. Take us through
02:52that. There are three phases. The league phase, super phase and the final. So which means
02:57there's an India-Pakistan game. There could be at least three India-Pakistan games. How
03:03will it happen?
03:04Correct. Yeah. Shyam, it's like this. Of course, the qualifiers first which has started today,
03:09the four teams will be playing and the winner will enter the main draw, which makes it six.
03:14And they will enter Group A along with India and Pakistan. So these three teams will play
03:19a one-round round-robin match. And the top two teams from each group will go into the
03:24Super 4. And in the Super 4, each team will play each other once. That means all the teams
03:30will play each other and then the top two will enter the final. So in that sense, India
03:35and Pakistan will be playing one game in the Group A, the next in the Super 4. And
03:39if they top the group at the end of the Super 4, then they will be meeting again in the
03:44final. So that's going to be a triple treat for all the fans of UAE and across the cricketing
03:51world.
03:52Not just that. See, any India-Pakistan clash in any format of the game is a big ticket
03:58tournament. We are even having a chance of three meetings with them, which means even
04:04if you miss out on one match, you can catch up with them next. So that is the most interesting
04:09aspect here. Let's look at the other teams as well. Looking beyond... No, not just that.
04:15I think we need to discuss one man who has got the entire cricketing world riveted, not
04:19just India. Virat Kohli is going to be back for the Asia Cup. What do you think of that,
04:26Anish?
04:27This is one tournament I believe Virat Kohli must be looking forward to more than anything
04:32what he has done from the beginning of his career. Because of late, there has been calls
04:36that he is not to be selected in the T20. His form in the other formats also has not
04:41been that great. But having said that, Virat Kohli would like to prove that he is the boss.
04:47He's ruled Indian cricket for a long period. And not only Virat Kohli, all the fans who
04:51love cricket would like Virat Kohli to be back in form. And we want to see some runs
04:55from his blade.
04:56Anish, looking past Virat Kohli's flashing blade, let's look at two... We will miss two
05:03of the top performers in world cricket. Especially two fast bowlers, Justin Bumrah and Shaheen
05:08Afridi. Tell us, how will it affect the campaigns of India and Pakistan?
05:12For India, I think India has been used to playing without Bumrah. I think they have
05:16done that in West Indies and other places. But Shaheen Afridi has been a very key figure
05:21I think he gives that early thrust to Pakistan's bowling and that puts the opponent on the
05:27back foot. So I would say, him missing is a bigger blow than Bumrah. Because he plays
05:33a much crucial role. And coming from a left-arm seamer. And if you remember last time, in
05:39the first over, he got two wickets. And that's how the match completely went one-sided. So
05:45his loss would have been much more greater than Bumrah. Because Indian team has now got
05:49a problem of plenty in terms of fast bowling. And even if you look at UAE, wickets are not
05:56known for their fast bowling skills. So all you need to do is to get the balls at the
06:01right area. So it should be fine even without Bumrah. But I would say, I seriously miss
06:07watching Shaheen Afridi more than Bumrah in this contest.
06:12The Asia Cup is not just about India and Pakistan. If you look at the history of the Asia Cup,
06:18in 14 World Cups, five of them have been won by Sri Lanka. So don't discount Bangladesh.
06:23They have run the other teams very close, including India and Pakistan. Remember the
06:26last called Thriller in 2018. So Anish, tell us about the prospects of the other teams,
06:31especially Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. You can be at our cause.
06:35You're right, Shyam. With Sri Lanka winning five Asia Cups, it's not without anything.
06:40They are a team to do well. And mind you, again, under Dasun Shanaka, they have done
06:45well. Recently, they must have lost the T20 series to Australia, but they bounced back
06:49in the last game. And then they won the ODI series. So they must be informed. They've
06:53got Hasranga, one of the top bowlers in the world. They've got Dinesh Shandimal back.
06:58They have two dashing openers. So they should be doing well. And at the same time, Bangladesh
07:03off late, I'm afraid, have not done well in the T20 format. But they are a dangerous team.
07:08On any given day, you know, Shakib Ul Hasan and his team can turn the clock. At the same
07:13time, Afghanistan with Rashid Khan, the Nabis, and the dashing Zardzai, they are a team that
07:19can't be taken lightly. So all five teams, plus even UAE, you can't discount them.
07:23True. T20 is a different beast altogether. You can't predict the winner. But having said that,
07:30Satheesh, I need a little more from you here, because this is going to be August.
07:34The heat is still on, and the humidity is on. How will it affect the players and the teams?
07:38Shyam, I think these are all professional cricketers. They are used to playing in
07:42various conditions. And it will have an impact. Of course, the fitness will be tested, because
07:49these are wickets on the sand. So from what I know, it is going to take a little extra effort
07:54from the players. The recovery time might take longer, but these are all pros, and they should
08:00not have any problems. Because I still remember, in April, when the Sharjah used to happen,
08:07those days, the players used to sweat profusely. So it will be something very similar to that.
08:13So the conditions should not be having any impact. But yes, we don't know if,
08:18just when September comes in, will there be any dew? Will there be any change in the conditions,
08:23when the batting first, batting second? These are some of the things that we need to look at once
08:28the game starts. Maybe the first couple of games will tell us how it is going to progress in terms
08:33of the wicket and all that. So yeah, that way, the conditions are not… It is sharp in conditions,
08:41but I am sure these players are well-equipped for that.
08:44Let's pick up the winners. Anil, who do you pick to win?
08:48Well, you know, last time I had gone on board to say India is going to win the T20 World Cup,
08:52keeping in mind that they played the AFL. And my prediction went all for a toss. So to pick
08:57one winner is going to be very difficult. All the teams have a chance, as I said.
09:01And I am not being diplomatic here. T20 on any day can be beaten. Yes, on paper,
09:05India looks stronger. Pakistan looks good. But don't discount the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
09:10Afghanistan, as well as UAE.
09:11To pick one team, who will it be?
09:14I will go with India.
09:15Satish, you?
09:16Shyam, to pick one team is going to be very difficult. I would probably say…
09:20Yes.
09:21The finalists will be… I would say there will be…
09:24I just need one team.
09:25The third-time India-Pakistan final will be there. But I get a strong feeling India should do well,
09:30because the confidence they have in the last couple of series, they went and
09:35they are ready for the game. Unlike the T20, where they were a little undercooked, I would say.
09:41I am going to pick Pakistan, simply because the last time here, they had a very good run and
09:45they nearly got into the final. So, they have good memories of UAE. So, I would pick India
09:51and Pakistan to win this time. So, that's it, folks, today. And let's see how the tournament
09:55pans out. And we will catch up with you just before the tournament starts. Thank you for joining us.