Sports
The Asia Cup jinx
by Rex Clementine
In 1983, in New Delhi, some of cricket’s famous names such as S.K. Wankhede (India), M.A. Chidambaram (India), I.S. Bindra (India), Jagmohan Dalmiya (India), Gamini Dissanayake (Sri Lanka), Nuzki Mohammad (Sri Lanka), Abdul Rahman Bukhatir (UAE) and Air Marshal Nur Khan (Pakistan) came together to form the Asian Cricket Council. The Asian bloc at that point had little clout with England and Australia enjoying veto powers and step by step they worked meticulously to shift the power base back to Asia. The Asia Cup was a result of this.
If Mr. Gamini Dissanayake was living, he would have wondered whether all this trouble was worth as eventually India grabbed all the power and started dominating world cricket. Some say, rather unkindly, that Mr. Dissanayake helped create a monster. But, the visionary leader he was, he wouldn’t mind this. He would rather have friends at CCI (Cricket Club of India) than at Lord’s.
When the schedule for the current Asia Cup was announced, it was no secret that the organizers and Star Sports, who owned the television rights wanted three India-Pakistan games. Since the 2019 World Cup, the format and in the Asia Cup they were guaranteed to meet twice – in the first round and in the Super Four stage. There was a possibility of a third India – Pakistan game as well if these two teams progressed to the finals.
However, Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka had other ideas as Pakistan were beaten in a last ball thriller.
Everyone wants to see an India – Pakistan final in the Asia Cup. Eyeballs for the big game means millions of US$ through television revenue. But the jinx is that since the inception of Asia Cup, 15 tournaments have been conducted but not a single final has been contested by India and Pakistan. So, this time too Asia Cup doesn’t have a final between the region’s two powerful nations. Every time Sri Lanka are spoiling the organizers plans.
Sri Lanka have now featured in 12 Asia Cup finals while India have been there on ten occasions with Pakistan featuring in only five finals.
It has been a tough few years for Sri Lankan cricket no doubt and there is overwhelming evidence that we are coming out of the gloomy days. Young players like Dunith Wellalage, Charith Asalanka, Maheesh Theekshana and Pathum Nissanka have become crucial members of the Sri Lankan side.
While Wellalage was the cynosure of all eyes against India early this week, Asalanka stole the limelight on Thursday as the game went on well past mid-night. We have been promised great things by both players, two former Sri Lanka Under-19 captains and they are delivering the goods. With World Cup around the corner, these are good signs as well.
Kusal Mendis was under pressure leading up to the tournament following a string of low scores. But he’s played some blinders and two match winning knocks has not only assured his place in the side but put Sri Lanka in the finals too.
With two needed off the last ball in what was a virtual semi-final against Pakistan, any other player would have looked for a big hit to take his team through with the entire nation watching. But such is Asalanka’s maturity, he smartly clipped Zaman Khan behind square for a couple to seal the game having spotted the vacant area.
India will be strong in Sunday’s final and are favourites to win the title. Sri Lanka nearly beat them in the second-round game in a low scoring thriller and here’s another opportunity for them to create a major upset.
Ticket prices sensibly were brought down and RPS will be packed on Sunday hoping for a grand show by their team.
Given the challenging group they were in, people even doubted whether the Sri Lankan side will go beyond the first round after their bowling attack was completely depleted. But how well they have fought, keeping their nerves and pulling off some crunch games. Irrespective of what happens on Sunday, there’s hope for the fans to believe that their team will do something special in the World Cup later this year.
It’s taking longer than most expected, but Bangladesh are inevitably moving towards history. Bangladesh and Pakistan will go into a fifth day in Sylhet, with Bangladesh on the cusp of another 2-0 clean sweep of Pakistan. They need just three wickets to get there, with Mohammed Rizwan, unbeaten on 75, the final, valiant point of resistance for a visiting side who still need an improbable 121 for victory.
It was thanks primarily to Rizwan, and his 134-run partnership with Salman Agha in the final session, that kept Bangladesh waiting for so long when they appeared to be on course to finish Pakistan off. But two crucial wickets from Taijul Islam – who bowled more than a third of the overs on Tuesday – in the final half hour saw that partnership broken, and the hosts burrow deep into Pakistan’s tail.
Rizwan and Agha got together off the back of three quick wickets, and a resurgent Bangladesh sniffing for a quick knockout. Instead, they held them at bay for over three hours, counterattacking early on before seeing off wave after wave of spin and seam from Bangladesh. Even as Bangladesh attacked with the field, the duo kept run-scoring front and centre of their survival strategy, using their feet against spin and timing the ball expertly when pace returned.
That the stand had begun to frustrate Bangladesh became evident when tempers flared in the final hour, with Litton Das taking exception to Rizwan slowing play down after disturbances from the sightscreen. The contest took on a distinct edge, but the Pakistan pair did not lose focus, inching their way towards stumps.
No more wickets might have given Bangladesh a sleepless night, but Taijul put them at ease. With Nahid Rana operating with a new ball from the other end, Taijul produced an arm delivery that skidded through Agha’s defences and knocked back his stumps, prompting wild celebrations from the hosts, who understood the importance of the moment. Hasan Ali, whom Rizwan curiously decided against shielding from the strike, posed little resistance, leaving Bangladesh just three wickets adrift.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 232 and 316 for 7 (Shan Masood 71, Babar Azam 47, Salman Agha 71, Mohammad Rizwan 75*; Taijul Islam 4-113, Nahid Rana 2-58) need another 121 runs to beat Bangladesh 278 and 390
[Cricinfo]
Sri Lanka Cricket’s new transformation committee has had “cordial and constructive” discussions with Imran Khwaja, the ICC’s deputy chair, according to a member of the new SLC committee.
Khwaja had been in Ari Lanka over the last few days to gather information as the ICC decides what its response to the sweeping government-led changes at SLC should be. During the course of that visit, Khwaja not only spoke with members of SLC’s transformation committee, but also met with Sri Lanka’s president Anura Kumara Dissanayake, whose government had installed the committee after ousting the previous board.
Sidath Wettimuny one of the committee’s nine members, said SLC’s new administrators were hopeful the ICC would continue to treat the board as a regular Full Member.
But the ICC has a track record of reprimanding SLC because of perceived government interference. In 2023, SLC was suspended over “extensive government interference” and, in 2015, the ICC had also frozen payments over a previous “interim committee” having been appointed by the then government.
This current committee, however, has said its goals were to replace SLC’s archaic constitution, before making way for a new set of elected officials.
The ICC has so far made no comments on the change of administration at SLC.
The committee, formally unveiled on April 30, has nine members, including Kumar Sangakkara, Wettimuny and Roshan Mahanama. The majority of the members, though, hail from corporate, legal, and political spheres, with former member of parliament Eran Wickramaratne appointed as chair.
“Our immediate priority is a total overhaul of the governance framework at SLC,” Wettimuny had said after the committee members were named. “The cornerstone of this effort will be the implementation of the new constitution, ensuring it serves as a robust, modern foundation for the sport.”
The committee’s second priority would be to ensure “excellence on the field,” Wickramaratne had said. “We will focus on establishing the structures, world-class facilities, and incentive models necessary to empower our national teams. Our goal is to enable our players to consistently deliver world-class performances and elevate Sri Lanka back to the top tier of international rankings.”
[Cricinfo]
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