Sports
Sri Lanka clinch Asia Cup for the 6th time after stunning win
Sri Lanka emerged Asia Cup champions for the sixth time with a 23-run win over the more-fancied Pakistan in Dubai. Central to the title win was a counter-attacking batting effort from Bhanuka Rajapaksa (71* off 45) and Wanindu Hasaranga (36 off 21), who lifted Sri Lanka from 58/5 and set 171 for Pakistan, a target that proved too tall for Babar Azam and Co on the night. They were bowled out for 147 in 20 overs as Sri Lanka brought up five consecutive T20Is wins for the first time since April 2014.
How the toss spiced things up
Coming into this final, Sri Lanka’s only loss in the tournament came when they batted first. To be fair, it wasn’t a one-off instance of them failing to put a total on the board; since the 2021 T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka had lost all the seven matches they batted first in. Furthermore, the venue only multiplied the challenge on offer – teams chasing in Dubai had won 26 of the last 30 games leading into this final. So when the coin fell Pakistan’s way, it pitted Sri Lanka’s bat-first limitations against Pakistan’s grey chasing record, making for a fascinating contest.
Just how did SL get to 58/5?
Pakistan were just too good with their pace upfront. Naseem Shah, steaming in, rattled Kusal Mendis’s stumps in the opening over but more pace awaited them in the form of Harif Rauf, who notched up pace in excess of 150 and picked the wickets of Pathum Nissanka (caught at mid-off) and Danushka Gunathilaka (bowled). Things went from bad to worse when Iftikhar Ahmed got rid of Dhananjaya de Silva, who had hitherto looked Sri Lanka’s best batter.
Now let’s talk about that partnership
Looking back, Pakistan were taken aback by that counterattacking partnership between Wanindu Hasaranga and Bhanuka Rajapaksa. The duo added 58 runs off 36 balls for the sixth wicket. Hasaranga, in particular, was aggressive against pace and spin alike, and even hit Rauf for two consecutive boundaries before edging one to the keeper. Rajapaksa then took control, finishing with 6 fours and 3 sixes and helping his side add 53/0 in the last five overs. It was only the second time in eight T20Is in 2022 Sri Lanka managed 150+ batting first.
Pakistan could have restricted them for fewer?
Yes.. The pitch had good bounce for shot-making but also had enough in it for the bowlers. But Babar Azam instead of attacking Sri Lanka at five-down, allowed Rajapaksa-Hasaranga to get their eyes in against three overs of spin.
Pakistan’s fielding in the last five overs didn’t help either. Rajapaksa was dropped twice, first by Shadab Khan on 49 at long-on before he collided with Asif Ali at deep mid-wicket and made for another drop. In contrast, Sri Lanka took all the catches that came their way, which at Dubai’s ‘Ring of Fire’ stadium isn’t always easy.
Pakistan and chase: what went wrong today?
Babar Azam’s form and Mohammad Rizwan’s slow-cooked fifty that lacked impetus to chase something like 171 in a high-pressure final. Looking back, Pakistan weren’t able to counterattack when they lost Babar (caught at short fine leg) and Fakhar Zaman (chopped on) off consecutive balls to Pramod Madushan (who finished with 4 for 34). Both Iftikhar Ahmed and Rizwan were slow to get off the blocks and it meant that Pakistan were only 68/2 at the halfway mark. To be fair to the duo, they had done well against Hasaranga, picking 25 runs off his first three overs but his fourth, it can be said, all but decided the match. Three wickets fell in that over; that of a well-set Rizwan (55 off 49), Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah, and it all led to Pakistan being bowled out for 147 in 20 overs. (cricbuzz)
An ODI between Canada and Netherlamds in King City Toronto on Tuesday was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch. The fixture was part of the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 competition, which is part of the qualification pathway for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The match was abandoned just 4.1 overs into the Netherlands innings after they had chosen to bat. They were 15 for 1, with Max O’Dowd the batter dismissed for a duck in the second over. The pitch had uneven bounce and the batters were struck several times during the short passage of play.
On June 12, four days before the abandoned match, the ICC had issued a statement saying the pitch at King City that was used for an ODI between USA and the Netherlands on June 8 had been given an “unsatisfactory” rating and one demerit point.
“This was a pitch that fell below the standard expected for this level of cricket,” match referee Phil Thompson had said about the surface for the USA-Netherlands match. “Both captains expressed disappointment with how it turned out, and the match officials assessed it as ‘very poor’. The inconsistent bounce created challenging and potentially unsafe playing conditions. Taking all factors into consideration, I believe the pitch merits an ‘unsatisfactory’ rating.”
According to the ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, pitches that get an “unsatisfactory” rating will be given one demerit point, while an “unfit” pitch rating will result in three demerit points for the venue. Demerit points remain active for a rolling five-year period, and an accumulation of six demerit points will result in the venue being suspended from hosting international matches for 12 months (12 demerit points will lead to a 24-month ban).
(Cricinfo)
Joshua Da Silva and Amir Jangoo have earned recalls to West Indies’ squad for the two-match World Test Championship series at home against Sri Lanka starting later this month, while the two Josephs, Alzarri and Shamar, are back after missing the tours of India and New Zealand late last year because of injuries.
Trevin Imalch had kept wicket when West Indies last played Test cricket, in New Zealand last December, but Da Silva, 33 Test matches old, has returned after scoring 996 runs across the last two seasons of the West Indies Championship. Imlach, who failed with the bat in New Zealand with a total of 81 runs across six innings – after scoring 33 runs in his only Test in India – has been named captain of a West Indies Select XI to play the Sri Lankans in a tour match in Coolidge from June 18 to 21. Roston Chase will continue to captain the Test side.
West Indies vs Sri Lanka Tests
Jangoo, dropped after only one Test appearance, in Multan in January 2025, where he scored 0 and 30, has returned to the side following a fruitful WI Championship in which he scored 411 runs in seven innings. He finished second on the scorers’ table there, only behind Da Silva, who scored 413 in seven outing. The highlight of Jangoo’s season was the 203 not out he scored for Trinidad & Tobago against Leeward Islands
The pair of Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, meanwhile, last played Test cricket during the home series against Australia in mid-2025.”Every Test series is an opportunity for us to grow as a team and strengthen our identity,” Darren Sammy, the head coach, said in a Cricket West Indies statement. “Sri Lanka are a quality side, so we know we’ll have to be at our best, but we’re excited about the challenge ahead.”For us, it’s about playing with discipline, showing character when the game gets tough, and representing the West Indies with pride. The players have been putting in the work, and we’re looking forward to putting on a strong display for our fans across the Caribbean.”
Some of the squad members are currently participating in a high-performance training camp in Antigua, which began on June 12 and will run till June 22. The members of the Test squad who were also part of the white-ball series against Sri Lanka – West Indies lost the ODIs and won the T20Is – will join the camp on June 15. The Tests will be played in North Sound from June 25 to 29 and July 3 to 7.
“This is a key component of our preparations heading into the series, providing players and coaches with valuable time to enhance and improve the skills we want to see sharpened, based on the areas we need to focus our attention on when facing this opponent,” Sammy said about the camp. “It also gives us the opportunity to put clear objectives and plans in place for the conclusion of the summer against Pakistan.
“Additionally, the four-day warm-up game prior to the series provides the chance for some of our Test hopefuls to play in high-intensity action and create the avenue for more competition within the squad ahead of the upcoming and future series.”
West Indies are currently bottom of the nine-team WTC table, having lost seven of their eight games in the ongoing cycle.
West Indies squad for Test series against Sri Lanka
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