Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Asia Cup Preview

High Voltage Clash - Series – Part I of III

The three Asian cricketing giants, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will make up the business end of the Asia Cup and expect some soaring voltages in the matches involving these teams.

We will be previewing the three clashes in a run down to the start of the tournament.

Pakistan v Sri Lanka

Both the teams are higher on experience than India currently. Sri Lanka will be bolstered by the return of Sanath Jayasuriya. Pakistan on the other hand will miss Mohammad Asif.

Sri Lanka had opening woes in the last ODI series in the Carribean but it will get a huge boost with the return of Jayasuriya. Pakistan have a stable opener in Butt but the other place is up for grabs. With new keeper Sarfraz Ahmed coming into the team it will be interesting to see whether him or Afridi open the innings.

If Pakistan have Younis and Yousuf coming at three and four, Sri Lanka have the deputy Sangakkara and the man himself Jayawardene coming in. Misbah and Malik at five and six although have more fire power but Chamara Silva and Dilshan bring more reliability to the Sri Lankan line up

Afridi would be a factor if he could stay on crease for more than an over. Sri Lankans have some power with the likes of Kapugedera and Vaas coming late in the order.

Sri Lanka are a far superior fielding side than Pakistan. Pakistan will need to take the half chances otherwise their bowlers could suffer.

Pakistan would have had a clear upper hand in the bowling department had it not been for the absence of Asif. They still have a slight upper hand with Gul, Tanvir and Afridi being in good form and the Sri Lankan stars Vaas and Muralidharan didn’t have a particularly good IPL: and have had a lay off after that. Maharoof’s injury has only worsened the problems for the Lankan side. The fourth and fifth bowlers of Sri Lanka in Jayasuriya and Dilshan look better than Pakistan’s.

Coming to the men at helm, Jayawardene has shown smart, incisive decision making while Malik has time and again shown that he isn’t that smart. His decision to make Tanvir bowl the four balls of an over remaining after Riaz was dismissed for bowling two bouncers was ample proof.

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