The Asia Cup cricket 2022 will begin with the group phase contest. Six teams will be divided into two groups, each containing three. India, Pakistan and the winner of the qualifier will play in Group A. On the other hand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan will play in Group B, which is considered the group of death. The Asia Cup 2022 Group B preview is discussed in this article.
Asia Cup Cricket 2022: Group B Preview
Finishing in the top two in the Group B points table will be a real challenge as all are well capable of advancing to the Super Four phase. A fiercely contested battle is expected in all three matches in this group. Let’s take a closer look at each squad in this group.
Bangladesh
The Bangladesh cricket team’s recent T20 performances have been unimpressive. Their two T20I victories this year have come against Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, respectively. They even failed to win a series against the Zimbabwean team a few weeks ago.
Read Asia Cup Cricket: India holds historical edge over Pakistan
So, the Bangladesh team is not heading to the Asia Cup with their best of form. Appointing Shakib Al Hasan as captain and hiring Sridharan Sriram as technical consultant are two good decisions the BCB made prior to the tournament. However, as per recent form, Bangladesh will not start as the favourite to finish in the top two in Group B.
Strengths
Having Shakib Al Hasan as captain could be Bangladesh’s main strength in the tournament. The Shakib-led Bangladesh team is expected to be rejuvenated during the main event. His decision-making ability, game awareness and leadership qualities are compared to none at the moment in Bangladesh. Besides, spinners can play a vital role in the middle overs to check the run flow of the opposition.
Weaknesses
The Bangladesh team has two major weaknesses in the T20 format of cricket. The team doesn’t have an established opening pair, and there is no proper power hitter for the death overs. It remains to be seen how they will address the deficiencies during the Asia Cup. Multiple sources have claimed that Shakib wants Mushfiqur Rahim to open the innings. The selectors recalled Sabbir Rahman to play the power hitting role in the middle order.
Read Asia Cup 2022: 12 Key Players to Watch in the Tournament
T20 Records against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan
Bangladesh have a poor T20 record against both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The team Tigers has won only four matches and lost eight against Sri Lanka. On the other hand, Bangladesh have three victories and five losses against Afghanistan.
Predicted Playing XI:
Top-Order: Mushfiqur Rahim (wicket-keeper), Anamul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan (captain);
Middle-Order: Afif Hossain, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mosaddeck Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin;
Lower-Order: Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasum Ahmed
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka have played eleven Twenty20 matches this year, eight against Australia and three against India. They have won two matches and both came against Australia. So, playing against tough opposition will boost Sri Lanka’s confidence ahead of the group stage clashes. The Lankan side will start as favourites to finish top in Group B.
Read Shakib Al Hasan: Expectations from Bangladesh’s T20 captain in Asia Cup 2022
Strengths
Over the last one year, the cricket world has witnessed some seriously talented T20 format cricketers from Sri Lanka. They have some individual match-winners, which is their biggest strength. Among them, all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga will top the list. Besides, Dushmantha Chameera, Pathum Nissanka, and hard-hitter Dasun Shanaka are some of Sri Lanka’s top performers in recent series.
Weaknesses
Most of the Lankan players don’t have enough international experience. Besides, constructing a match-winning playing XI could be a major concern for them.
T20 Records against Afghanistan and Bangladesh
Sri Lanka have won eight matches against Bangladesh and lost four. On the other hand, Sri Lanka won the only T20 game they played against Afghanistan in 2016.
Predicted Playing XI
Top-Order: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka,
Middle-Order: Bhanuka Rajapaksa (wicket-keeper), Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka (captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne,
Lower-Order: Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama.
Read Asia Cup 2022: SWOT Analysis of Bangladesh National Men’s T20 Cricket Squad
Afghanistan
Afghanistan have won the majority of their T20 matches this year. However, all of their fixtures were against weaker opponents. They have some T20 specialist players who have the ability to change the scenario of a match on their own. Afghanistan will start as the second favourite to qualify for the Super Four round from this group.
Strengths
Afghanistan have some of the best T20 format spinners in their squad. Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Rashid Khan are all world-class bowlers. Besides, their captain, Nabi, is the current world No. 1 all-rounder. He would probably be the most vital player for the Afghan side. They have some quality power hitters as well, and one of them is Hazratullah Zazai.
Weaknesses
The Afghanistan team sometimes tends to lose grip whenever they face any tough opposition. The Afghan players have to develop patience and a steady approach to have a solid performance against stronger opponents.
T20 Records against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
Afghanistan have won five matches against Bangladesh and lost three. On the other hand, Afghanistan lost the only T20 match they played against Sri Lanka in 2016.
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Predicted Playing XI
Top-Order: Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wicket-keeper), Ibrahim Zadran,
Middle-Order: Usman Ghani, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (captain), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan,
Lower-Order: Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Asia Cup 2022: Full Fixtures of Group B
The Asia Cup of Cricket 2022 will kick off with the Group B match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Here are the fixtures for Group B.
Date: 27 August | Match: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan | Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Date: 30 August | Match: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan | Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Date: 1 September | Match: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh | Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Verdict
According to the Asia Cup 2022 Group B preview, Bangladesh will not begin the match as the favourites to advance to the next round. However, if the Shakib Al Hasan-led Tigers T20 team can reach their full potential during the competition, they have the ability to shock everyone.
The favourites in this group, the Sri Lankan campaign is in full confidence, especially following a strong performance in their most recent T20 series against Australia. Afghanistan, on the other hand, has a reputation for being a deadly T20 team and is innately confident in their ability to defeat anyone. Bangladesh must thus work hard to defeat these two confident teams to secure a spot in the Super Four.
Source: United News of Bangladesh